THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1011, 29 June 1911, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

MAY GRADING RETURNS. During the month of May the total number of bales of hemp graded was 7,777 as compared with 12,002 for the corresponding month of last year, a decrease of 4,225 bales. For the twelve months ending May 31st the number graded was 101,253, as compared with 117,526 for the previous twelve months, a decrease of 16,273 bales. Worked out on a percentage basis, the quantity of each grade dealt with during the month was as follows : Fine, 3,35 ; good fair, 39,75 ; fair, 53.38; common, 2.96; rejected, 0.56. The amount of tow dealt with during the month was 2,276 bales, as compared with 3,836 for the corresponding month of last year, a decrease of 1560 bales. The amount of hemp and tow dealt with at the different ports was as under: —

ine ntnnDer or Dales m eaen grade and the percentage of output at the various ports were as under : —Fine : Picton, 109, 100 ; Foxton, 88, 2.77 ; Wellington, 63, 1,81. Good fair: Dunedin, 144, 94.73 ; Wellington, 1569, 45.26 ; Foxton, 1288, 40.64; Auckland, 89, 13.22 ; Bluff, 3, 1.44. Fair : Bluff, 205, 98.55 ; Auckland, 530, 78.75 ; Wellington, 1786, 51.52 ; Foxton, 1621, 51.13; Dunedin, 8, 5.26. Common: Auckland, 36, 5.34; Foxton, 147, 4.63 ; Wellington, 48, 1.38. Rejected : Auckland, 18, 2.67 ; Foxton, 25, 0.78. The tow worked cut as follows : First grade: Picton, 70, 100; Foxton, 366, 39.06 ; Auckland, 44, 24.03 ; Wellington, 166, 17.36. Second grade: Dunedin, rot, 87.81 ; Wellington, 744, 77.82 : Foxton, 557, 59.44; Auckland, 30, 16.39. Third grade : Bluff, 15,100 ; Auckland, 71, 39iOi ; Dunedin, 12, 10.43; Wellington, 46, 4.81 ; Foxton, 7, 0.74. Condemned : Auckland, 38, 20.76 ; Dunedin, 2, 1.73; Foxton, 7, 0.74HIGH GRADE HEMP. KNOWLEDGE OF MARKET REQUIRED. Writing in the June number of the Agriculturial Journal, Mr W. H. Ferris, Chief Fibre Expert, says:— “A feature of the hemp industry, which may be well to explain, in view of the little knowledge possessed by the general public of the value of the Australian market to millers of phor-mium-fibre, is that the market values of New Zealand hemp which appear in the daily Press do not give the true indication of the commercial position. For instance, practically the only grades exported to British markets are good-fair and the lower qualities, and thus it is entirely on the values of these that the market value of our hemp is estimated and advertised to the world. On the other hand, Australian and local cordage-manufacturers take all the high-point good-fair and fine hemp produced in the Dominion, and have done so for years. Therefore the higher values obtained for these are never recorded in the market quotations of hemp which are made public. During the present season, when at certain periods the milling of the qualities taken by the British trade have shown little or no profit, the higher grades taken by Australian and New Zealand buyers have returned millers fairly satisfactory values at all times, though, of course, it is only those millers who have adopted the latest methods and are working under favourable conditions who can take advantage of the market for the higher grades. Thus, it will be seen that an incorrect conception of the position of the industry exists among those who depend for their information as to the state of the market value of phormium-fibre on London cables. It has been suggested that the High Commissioner should be asked to include quotations for fine fibre in his weekly market cable ; but this he obviously cannot do, as the fine grade is practically unknown in Britain. It would be an excellent idea were millers to combine in the shipping of a large parcel of high-point good-fair and fine grades of hemp to Britain, in order to test the Home market. It is not improbable that could British and Continental cordage people have an opportunity of testing our better-quality fibre they would discover ip it an article valuable for special purposes. This would obviously have a farreaching effect on the position of the industry. “Probably, owing to the weaker market position of good-fair hemp, some millers, who have been consistently turning out this quality, have gone back in their work, and have forwarded to the grading stores a poor-quality hemp. It should be unnecessary to emphasise that uniformity in the quality of a brand is essential to the establishment of a good connection for it. “ There has been no noticeable improvement in the quality of hemp reaching the grading stores during the past month. “ Tow is still a very payable commodity, and millers would find it much more profitable were they to take more care in its preparation. Much of it has to be reduced in grade owing to the presence of dust and rubbish, the , result of poor shaking.’’

HEMP. TOW. Auckland 673 183 Foxton 3169 937 Wellington 3466 956 Picton 109 70 Dunedin 152 US Bluff 208 15