Flax Grading.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7913, 21 September 1904, Page 2

Flax Grading.

(Per Presi Association.) INVEROARGILL, September 20. The lnvercargill Chamber of Commerce to-day considered a circular from the Department re flax grading certificates. The committee' appointed to report on the question, recommended that the suggested form of certificates be adopted, with the exception that " fair" grade should be from 65 to 74 points, and "common" anything under 65, it being considered that the present range of fifteen points for fair .was too wide, and that business would work better if the range were reduced to ten points. It was resolved I that the Department be written i to pointing out the necessity j for appointing inspectors to make periodical visits to the mills and J instruct. operative? in the proper methodsof manufacturing the fibre and I adopting some system of making bales in such a manner that the marks could not be removed. The report added that certain exporters are strongly of opinion that in some cases where buyers have made quality claims and called on arbitration, that flax other than that ' exported has been put before the arbitrators. If bales were branded in saoh a way that the brands could not be removed, substitution of this kind would be rendered impossible. It was resolved to add a clause to the report, recom- | mending that provision be made on the form of certificate to Bhow the weight of flax graded.