On Grading Flax.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 30 July 1891, Page 2

On Grading Flax.

_ » [By Mb B. G rdwbb.] Now as to grading I have already shown that it is urgently needed and by the Government admittedly so. The Government only hesitated to make it a national matter because of the dread of responsibility and the dread of the creation of new officers and a new department — objections that will vanish I hope when the matter is fully considered. Its advantages are in & word— 1. The fixing of a standard of quality that will enable sales to be made easily and more securely in the Coiony than at present in the London sale room. 2. The destruction of the speculalative element of uncertainty of quality that forces buyers to discount a -possible loss and so lessen the prioe of good flax to the produoers and the colony. The question arises — How would you grade and whose duty is it. to grade. In reply to the first I fully realise the difficulties, but yet they are not insurmountable, but like the ! grading of various artioles of export from other countries it must be on some well defined and acknowledged principles. Some six months ago, in a letter to the Evening Post, I advanced a scheme that I then thought was workable— since then I have always kept it before me and brought it into practice in my own sheds, with, I fancy, success enough to , prove it serviceable and' safe.' The best possible flax is taken at almost an unattainable quantity to represent 100 points, and all less than the best possible so many points less. We take the different conditions and and processes through which the flax passes from its raw state till baled for market, and allot so many i points to each : — For excellent raw leaf ... 10 j „ milling . . 55 „ washing & flying 10 „ paddooking ... 15 „ skutching '.-. 10 ; Total .... 100 Now the defects, arising from the dressing of (1) bad leaves, noticeable in short out flax and red butts. (2). From bad milling in straws, ribs, tails, chopping. (8). From bad washing and flying — red, dust and color. (4). From bad paddooking in grey, black, or green color, and brittleness, (5). From bad skutching in flax, tow, and vegetable dust, The 55 points in milling we subdivide in free from straw and ribs, 20 ; tails, 15 ; chopping, 20. With these standards before us, and a knowledge of flax, the quality is easily determined with a yery little practice. We look at a bale of flax and examine the brand. If there^ is reason to suspect that the exterior does not represent what the flax is, at any rate one or more bales would be cut open, one or more bales of the consignment, and under any circumstances hanks are drawn here and there, when an average is struck. We apply our test to a sample standard : — Ist— ls it short out, or red 10 we allow 8 2nd— Are there straws and ribs- 90 we allow lfl Srd— Are there tails ..15 „ 12 4th— ls it chopped ..20 „ 18 sth— Dust oolor, red .. 10 „ . • 8 Bth— Color grey and green or brittle ..15 „ 11 7th— ls there to «*, tails, or vegetable dust . . 10 „ 8 Totals Too 81 The consignment examined gives 81 points. Now we divide all flax into four grades or qualities and these we term respectively Common or C, Fine or F, Good or G, Superior or S. At present nearly every London broker has his own terms, and right glad he would be if this could be unified. C — Common all up to 55 points F— Fine „ 55 to 70 „ G— Good „ 70 to 85 „ S— Superior „ 85 to 100,, We add the letter W, or A, or L, or 0 td distinguish the port of shipment — wonld I add my own real brand, G. So the flax we examined would be stamped GWG 81. That is graders required mark, Wellington Good (between 70 and 85). The value would so be at once known, and neither buyer nor seller could be misled. We must not expect too muoh from grading though. If the market price for good average (75 points) be today £17, no grading in the world would make it £18 ; but if we produce flax of 80 points, taking the standard at 75 and the price of standard at £17, this flax is worth £17 ss, or Is per ton unit better than standard. Very soon the buyers would get into the way of buying by grades or real value, just in the same way as they buy any other article of varying worth. And if flax were of a less number of points than 75 it would not as now be rejected, to be forced to take whatever a speculative buyer would give. If 70 points it would be worth £16 15s, and not 20s to 40sa ton less than it is worth. This I have known occur many times. Grading, bear in mind, will merely fix value relatively. The principle may seem at first rather complex, but in practice it is both simple and correct to one who knows what flax is. What would grading cost (for expense is » serious matter at present)

and would it be worth the candle. It should be done for 6d to 8d per bale or say 2s 6d per ton. It could not be done well for less. For the cost of opening one bale and re-baling by the Harbour Board is 2s, and if one bale in every two tons is opened, say one in every 10" bales, and it might be more. 10 bales at 6d ... 5/Cost of opening one 2/Leaving 8/-, or 1/6 per ton, or 8-Jd per bale. This, and many more times this, would very soon be gained in the security of price, and a market always" open according to grades. Now who should do it? To give it the foil force of authority the Government should appoint the grader as recommended by the Parliamentary Committee of last session of Parliament. I doubt not if we assert ourselves unanimously in no halfhearted manner it will be done. But it must he done ; and will be, sooner or later, for we cannot go on as we are now, blindly or in the dark, dressing well and getting nothing more for it. The increaso 6f 10s a. ton only would be £75 a year to any one of us. And to the trade at Home it would be a boon, for the price would then depend upon the -demand there was for flax and the quantity to supply, and speculators would act on these lines and not on the chance of quality. For remember that " effectual value " is determined by" the use the individual has for - the article and * the difficulty he has to obtain it."