THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3778, 3 December 1907, Page 2

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

High Commissioner’s Report.

The High Commissioner cables as follows • Hemp market dull, transactions light at last quotations. Better demand for hemp on spot.

Mr Petrie, Government hemp grader, returned to Foxton from Napier last week. In conversay tion with our representative, Mi Petrie expressed great with the quality of the hemp he had handled at Napier, all of which easily reached the good fair grade. “In fact, ’ ’ said Mr Petrie, ‘‘ it was some of the finest hemp of that grade that I have ever handled.” In reply to further questions, Mr Petrie.said that the leaf was good, and another factor was that the hemp had .been washed in good water. “ How do you find the local hemp ?” our reporter queried. In reply, Mr Petrie said there was a marked improvement in quality and a big percentage of good fair was going through. He expressed the opinion that if local millers could utilise artesian instead of • river water, the hemp would have a very much better appearance than tains at present. Local would have no difficulty in reaching the 80 or fine standard. In , Mr Petrie’s opinion the objective of the local millers should be at least good fair. The higher grades were in the best interests of the industry, even if the demand is for fair.