Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1905. FLAX GRADING, AND OTHER THINGS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3502, 28 March 1905, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1905. FLAX GRADING, AND OTHER THINGS.

* Recently there appeared in the press of the colony, a report of serious complaints made by American consumers of New Zealand Henlp, to tile effect that in addition to poor quality and dressing in certain lots there had beeil grave malpractice at one of some of the millls. It was alleged that foreign matter bad been introduced into bales of hemp in order to add to the weight Arid So obtain values that were not honest. Such statements merit serious Consideration) and no doubt will receive such. On Friday llext a conference of flaxmilling representatives is to be held in Wellington to consider the questichl of grading, ort which, of course, is dependent the classification of the hemp fw marker purposes. At the conitefehcd this Classification will form the principal subject for discussion. The vital point on which millers are aggrieved is the undue difference in grade between “ fair ” and '* good fair ” as compared Willi the margins allowed between other grades. But that, after all, forms only one item on the list of matters now causing concert! in this industry which has of ktC yCUfS grown to sttch Important dimensions. Speaking of the aid tendered to the industry by the State, the Manawatu “ Standard ” says that the Government is now devoting greater attention to the matter and is “ sending experts to places where the quality of fibre is known to be low, to endeavour to help millers to improve it." After surmising that this should prove helpful and result in a much superior article being placed on the market, the “ Standard ” goes on: “ That an improvement in quality is desirable is shown by recent reports from America, in which loud complaints are made regarding the class of fibre shipped to that country." Millers generally are fully alive to the necessity for turning out the best quality of fibre possible ; they naturally wish to make all they can out of it, and that cannot be dona if fibre good enough for first grade is turned out in second grade style. Therefore, since the men who have embarked their money in the milling industry can scarcely be looked upgn as simpleton";, we would deprecate the too apparent tendency to, as soon as complaints regarding quality are heard—from whatever source—lay the blame on the millers. We trust that matters needing local remedies will be discussed at Friday’s meeting with some satisfactory result, and would turn the attention of those interested a little further afield for a moment. A serious complaint reaches us from America regarding the weight* of bales of hemp. This fraud—for fraud of a very distinct type it is—is at once attributed to the millers, or some of them. Such practices have certainly not been unknown in the history of the hemp industry ; the writer has known ot cases in the days of the flax “ boom ’’ a few years ago in another district of the colony in which innocent looking bales contained strange secrets and were not so honest as they appeared. But that by the way. Now ; there is a system of grading in vogue and each bale has to run the gauntlet, so to speak, of a government official. The discovery of foreign matter in a package would almost inevitably happen sooner or later, and what miller, we ask, would risk such a denouement ? Not one, we venture to assert, would be so foolhardy. Therefore we must look further afield for the cause of the complaints that have reached this colony. And: in passing it observed that these damaging reports do not seem to come through any recognised official or commercial channel. They have “ just happened along,’’ as the Yankee would say. And, let it be noted, they have “ happened along ” from America, from among the “ keenest business men on the airth, under the airth, or in the air, «ir, and don’t you forget it! " Such things as “ faked ” weights and qualities have been heard of before, and not always, we must admit, Irom America. It is quite possible that in this case consumers have had their eyes to business. To make money many things are done which at first sight do not seem worth while, but the greed for gain will go far. While proposals are in the air for the appointment of inspectors and experts in New Zealand, might it not be advisable, we would suggest, to ; institute inquiries through some responsible medium concerning these allegations that have been made. Then we should learn whether there really had been any such malpractice*, or if the reports were manufactured by unscrupulous merchants to depreciate values and so enable them to obtain the fibre at smaller cost. It has been suggested to us also that | Manila hemp growers and manufac, hirers might be interested in seeing the New Zealand product brought into disfavour and driven from Ameri-. can markets. This view, however, we

do not favour so much, as it is not likely that the two hemps would come much into actual opposition, their uses being widely diversified. In these days when commissioners and other kinds of representatives roam the world on behalf of governments it might, we would humbly suggest to the powers that be, not be a bad thing to appoint a man of experience And tadt to inquire casually—and more deeply, of course) if he can—into some of these matters. A real service might thereby be done to an important industry.