THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2045, 23 October 1919, Page 4

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

LAST YEAR’S OPERATIONS

.COMPLAINTS ABOUT QUALITY

The hemp industry is surveyed in some-detail in the annual report of the chief hemp grader (Mr A. H., Ferris).

Although the quantities of hemp and tow received for the year show a "fairly large decrease compared with the previous year (when record prices were ruling) the output and the prices obtained must be regarded as satisfactory (says the report). The recent epidemic (during the month of November and December) was responsible for a decrease of at least 9,000 bales. The (dosing-down of the Opui mill of four strippers (owing to diseased leal; in the swamps) helped materially to decrease the Foxton returns. Congestion in the grading stores at Auckland and Bluff, owing to (he shortage of shipping during the year, compelled the merchants to discontinue buying, with the result that many of the smaller mills had to cease operaliops.

The average -prices 'obtained for our fibre are as follow; —Hemp; Good-fair, £42; high-fair, £4O; lowfair, £3B; and common, per lon respectively. Tow: First grade, £7; second grade, £fi, third grade, £5 per ton. The total value of the hemp, tow, and stripper-slips produced in the Dominion for the year was approximately £1,002,405.

Notwithstanding that high values ruled, the quality of most of the hem]) graded in the Dominion .during I lie year was of a ■ disappointing character. Especially is the position unsatisfactory when it is rcmaiiibeml that I lib milling plant Ims been greatly improved, during the last few years, thereby making it possible lo produce' a much freer and .belter-coloured fibre. The principal cause of the decline in quality is, in my opinion, poor shipping, duo either to a desire to strip more fibre than the stripper is capable of treating effectively, lo careless work on the part of the strip-per-keeper, or’lo (he employment of inexperienced men. In many cases the phormium leaf has been yneroly split owing to the stripper hot being maintained at the correct set. For the same reason much of the hemp has been bruised and thereby reduced in strength. The stripping being bad, after processes have failed to correct the weakness. Where the vegetable mailer Ims nol been properly removed from the fibre no system of washing or bleaching will ensure a good colour. In numerous cases where the stripping had been satisfactory the fibre had to he graded down owing to the poyy scutching, and had scutching is often more serious from the cordage manufacturers’ point ol view than poor stripping. The latter may leave considerable vegetable matter adhering to the fibre, and may cause it to have a poor colour, but Ibe fibre will not be knotted or towy. Of course, it is impossible lo properly scutch fibre bruised in the stripping process, as the more such fibre is scutched (he worse its condition becomes.

It is not forgotten that some mills have very poor leaf to deal with—leaf from which nothing hut a low grade (if fibre can be produced — but thc-m mills arc excluded from the above remarks. "Some of the largest and best mills in the. Dominion, having a good leaf to deal with, are turning out unsatisfactory fibre. During the past few seasons the percentage of low-grade fibre has been very high, which is without doubt due lo the high prices ruling, us well as the unsatisfactory milling work.

Previous, to the present boom the general standard of our fibre was very good. Certainly only the best mills were working at the lower values, but these were intent on aiming at quality rather (ban quantity. Xow, as in the previous boom lime, the position is reversed, and everything is apparently being saerilieod to quantity. More money may be made by a heavy output of lowgrade fibre which can bo sold at a high-price, but it is doubtful if it is more profitable even now than milling u superior article, and it is certainly against a permanent demand for phormium, the reputation of which is being imperilled by the present short-sighted policy. There m a good demand for good-fair fibre, but very little of this quality is available, a matter for great regret, as good-fair has been our standard quality for binder twine. If this graders not obtainable, cordage manufacturers will be compelled to use other fibres for this purpose, to our disadvantage. Australian binder twine manufacturers prefer our good-fair to manila, but as the former is not available they are being forced to use manila. A very bad feature of some lines coming forward is that, evidently with the idea of utilising every scrap of fibre, some of the hanks.are “faced" with good fibre,'giving the hank the appearance of being of decent quality, hut when, the hunk is opened for inspection it is found to contain hemp of a verv 1 * inferior quality. To millers.who make it a, practice of “facing" their hemp, no consideration is shown by the graders, the hem]) being severely graded down. The only district that turned out a good quality of fibre during tire past season was Marlborough district, practically, the whole output being , either tine or goodfair. The percentage of good-fair at the chief grading ports was very disappointing. The quality of tow for the past season, especially at the ports of Wellington, Fusion, and Pictun, was exceptionally good, chiefly, on actfo-

unt of the autonvalic scutchers and tow-shakers used. The quality at the ports of Auckland and Bluff' is still very inferior, the proportion of first grade at Auckland having been only 2 per-cent., and at Bluff nil. The large decrease in stripper-slips is due to the low prices offering for this lay-product and shortage of shipping.