Flax Grading.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7928, 8 October 1904, Page 2

Flax Grading.

The Goyernment System Con-,

denmed.

(Per Press Association)

INVEECARGILL, October 7. * At a meeting of the Chamber of Commefce, a letter was read from Mr John Passmore, of Donaghy and Co., oriticia mg statements, made by Chief trader Fulton at a meeting of the Chamber. Mr Fulton, he thought, spoke of flax as being used, or suggested that it could be used, in the textile trade. New Zealand flax, Mr Passmore said, was nob used for cloth, and if it were possible to work it up to equal silk, as Mr Fulton said, the. cost would be far in excess of the artiole it was got up to imitate, and the imitition would certainly be far inferior. As flax was used only for rope and twine why did not the grader grade for present commercial demands, and not for future dreams? There were many fibres and flaxes more "suitable for the textile trade than that of New Zealand claimed to be. He was in a position to know that at present grading was wrongly done, and that the grader knew very little of the requirements of the cordage trade. During a visit to America and Great Britain seven years ago be had his own experience related to bim, viz., that New Zealand flax was not cleaned. In some cases tbe manufacturers scutched all the New Zealand flax before putting it into machines.. In some cases which had come under his notice in whioh bales had the grader's "good fair " tag hanks seemed to have been thrown into the scutcher, the outside being made straight and smooth and the iDside left a mass of tow and gum. He also combated the Chief Grader's statement that flax after being cut took three years to grow again. Under favourable conditions, in a warm swampy gully, he had seen it out after a year's rest. It had,grown to a height of four feet, and produced as fine a sample of fibre as he had-seen. He condemned the present system of grading-as afarce, and gave his own opinion that three olasses wer_ sufficient for any practical purposes as follows:—-(l) Bright creamy colour, free from tow, gum, basses, flax, and knotty tails," (2) Free from any tow, gum, basses, flax, knoity tails, and any colours. (3) Any. fibre not coming up to the second standard of quality to be classed as inferior. If a miller had "inferior" put on his flax once, he would take care it did not occur again. Where there were so many classes as at present, it was impossible to get judgment in a case for damages as there was such a complication of classes. The Chamber received the letter.'