Manawatu Herald FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1890. A Grading Company.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 23 May 1890, Page 2

Manawatu Herald FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1890. A Grading Company.

» In a few days time the Herapmillers of the district will be called together to consider a proposal to form a company to grade their produce into certain classes. Other business will alao be proposed to be undertaken by the company, with which "we a»e- t aot r however, so immeliately concerned. Grading, or sorting of produce is no ii©.v idea ; and the proposal put I forth only embodies the practical application of a well-known business practice to the fibre n*w being manufactured in this colony. The question has been raised : Whether, if our flax went H >me graded, it would foteh a higher j r co simply because it was graded ? We unhesitatingly say that we fool sure that it would, as the system of classification in al! other products ha» be«n iouaAauc-

ceßßful. Any one yet doubtful ou the poiafc iittti only to inquire what i» done with wool, frozen meat, and kauri gum, to satisfy himself. On every large station a wool 1 sorter ia employed at shearingtiroefi, Who divides each fleece into various qualities : the freezing companies in all their contracts ratain the power to reject any carcase that is not thought tit ht the London market; m vUwkiaud the guui, as recaived from the diggers, undergoes a very thorough division In Wuol aud gum it Jiafe l^Ji tlitt Si{terieftiid obtained by actual practice that has led to the Kdneral adoption of classification, so that it is, it on these grounds alone, safe to assume that the grading of hemp would be similarly satisfactory. The one fact to be stored in the producer's mind is: that the Home manufacturers — the purchasers oi' his products— are very large buyers of the particular article they need ; and, as their trades are so sub* divided, they, though wanting a por tion of some articlw of general production, do not want the whole of it, neither do they desire to add to their particular industry the trade of a broker, which, did they buy the whole of a uhipnient, sent in the rough, they would have need to do, to dispose of that portion which was uot suited to their purpose. A manufacturer of cloth directs his buyer to purchase first clothing, and he is willing to pay the full market rate for the same, but he resents being informed that he cannot buy only what he needs, but must take the bale as it is packed— with the whole fleece in it ; and would, if he could, refuse it, but perhaps, having to take it, gives for the bale only the value he considers it contains of the portion he requires, knowing a certaia expense is attached to the i*esale of the balance. At the sam* sale there may be a buyer for just the wool that number one oojects to, but finding it generally mixed withholds from purchasing. The seller, therefore, annoys both his customers by uot putting his goods into grades as needed. A few might imagine that beoauso both the manufacturers wanted some of the wool that was in a bale it would causa competition between them to buy on the off chance of being able to sell again at a profit, but nothing of this sort takes place, business being strictly confined to its own legitimate channels, and only profit sought in the actual trade carried on. The sheeprfarmer, after trying both ways, has accepted the fact, and packs his crop so that his customer can buy a bale containing ony what he wants.

In addition to these f.icts we have the practical evidence of the men whom the millers employ to sell t e'.r fibre, who eraestly repeat tie cau tian to grade ; ami who assart that it is the one most necessary duty to atteud to if we hope to secure a permanency for the trade. The manufacturers of the fibre are no mure to be trifled with than the cloth workers, so that, now a proposition is before the milleiv, we earnestly hope every consideration wi.l be giveu to it.

The full particulars for providing funds and means to effect the object of grading the h'imp is not before us as we write ; and even if it were, we should prefer the millers first to discuss it before Are made any re marks, as though the manner in which the proposal can be carried out may be open to much criticism : all we desir© to lay stress on is, that grading, wherever and however performed, is a necessity. We wou d argue, from the experience that has been gained in the wool sales, that besides grading being a necessity — as being a con venience to the buyers — it would, ou those very grounds, prove remunera tive, as more money woud be ob tamed for a known, than for an unknown bale of material at the auction mart ; yet more would be obtained by the seller, as the de finite article needed could be speci fied aud thus sold on c.i.f. terms, a'lowing all costs of wharfage, sfora<»e, and sale expenses to be s; ved by the buyer who would be willing to allow moat of them to the producer, which sums amount to something like £3 per ton. Grading would, therefore, mean raising the value of the product to the miller of some mm per ton, and if we placed it at only £2 a ton, which many experienced men think low, as we do ourselves, it would represent to the miller an amount equivalent to £300 per year per stripper. Surely this is worth con* sidering and if possible attempting ?