New Zealand Hemp.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3469, 26 March 1890, Page 2

New Zealand Hemp.

The New Zealand Tracle Review, referring to the aboveeubject, says : .The continued absence of orders from England and America for this staple.has produced something approaching a pauio in this market; and has aroused a general ami anxious desiro amongst mercantile houses, as well as hemp-millers, to investigate critically the position and prospects of this industry, both in the Colony and iu tlio markets of consumption. The courso of tho industry, in the past has been decidedly erratic. The staple has been an article of oxport from the earliest times; aud twenty years ago it sprang into sudden prominence, when sanguino hopes were entertained of, the, foundation of a permanent and profitable industry, Tlie market, howover, suddenly col.' lapsed, entailißg bankruptcy oh iiiaiiy who had engaged in the pursuit. •■ The Government records give the quantity and value of exports Of this product in tlib year 1853 as 40 tons, valued at & I,olG,and in theyear 18Q9,' as 17,084 tons, valued aUa.01,182,' Por the four years from JB7O. ;to 1878 the average annual totai-Wasj nearly 1417,009, at an average valuofor export of about ,£BB, This development , is,.-, however; I'ijuite eclipsed bythe rapid expansion .of the last J\yo years, though 'tlie average

eclarod value for. this poriod is onlyij \. etween i£2o and £2l per ton. Injf V; 880, the valuation, had fallen toijW" little over Ll4. \Under the oir^j ; "./,/'. uiristances of the recent sudden 1 ' ' dvaime, it is not surprising that a' ood deal of wild, speculative work; ras 'done. Areas of phormiuni-i iearing land were leased for a year,'l r a longer period, by speculators U--.< ..."■.•' experience. Beutch-r og machines of various designs were] j- • natle, and 'Operatorslet lo work'#-■.''. - tot haste, v eager to take;advantage of r'jfc* he profitable market, and make hay ..<"/- vhile the sun shono; for there was a; videspread apprehension that the.. ■ lemand, asin 1870-78, would be only! ,emporary, Merchants, in execution if orders, made contracts with milliwners for forward delivery, and nill-owners made contracts with ,beir operatives, payiug for- their ,:' abourat a price per ton for fibre produced. Tinder Buch a system, jiuoh carelessly, and oven dishonestly prepared hemp was shipped. The receipt/of this inferior fibre among" •• '.-" the parcels delivered to purchasers is no doubt one of the cause's of thej severe check under whioh the market" . is now suffering, but it is not the U only one. Another alleged factor in s~ this' adverse movement is an apprehension on the part of buyers that' the production in this country in capable of enormous expansion. And yet another reported iiiflueuce in tho same direction is a ntrong combination among American ropomakers to "bear'! the market by from purchasing. The result, nom; doubt' will first^piaoo, ! deoline 'iu*prices;^^s^ff'sequence*"''' -' however, shipments for a time will bo on a greatly reduced scalo, as a great many mills will bo closed, In one important producing district we hear that 45 out of 88 mills have already been, or are on the joint of beiug, closed. Thus the price in the Colony v ; r will probably|not;he muchjaffeoted; H and while the demand is in abeyanoe' the plants will bo growing again. Mill-owners had already suffered many disappointments. ; For a time it was a generally .accepted belief that the cost of production iii;the Colony was not more'llian £lO a ton. But experience has shown that the true cost is about SO per cout, above that figure. Then the charges for shipping and freight have been unexpectedly heavy, '■ ■ reducing the - : ' margin of profit considerably. There \<f have further teen' disappointments with machinery, and other details connected with the production.,,.,. ■.. The risk of firo has also"p'roVe'd'a w - heavy drawback, and a great many )$ casualties have been suffered from this cause; while Insurance Companies practically .refuse to?cover-the ;■■ ■ risks. Altogether, wo are assured that butjew of the large number of men who went eagerly into this industry a year, or two ago have actually..,;:)/ realised much out of it at present, ''"'' and those who have done well have, got their gams all invested in their undertakings. The poor result bus ■ no doubt been mainly, if not entirely caused by want of experience, and all tho blunders and losses usually attendant upon starting a new industry,: ;Now, many ilessons havo been learned, and better prospects lie before the trade if a good market is,;;, ; .:' provided. At a result of the present reverse > merchants and mill-owners are'seeking to work together for the preservation and improvement of the industry. Among the objects put forward are; To stimulate the: invention ■' of I more perfect machinery for the pre-jpn paration of the ilibre; to securo ft higher standard and greater uniformity of quality, and uniformity of size of bales; and to cheapen tlio ! costs of shipment and transport.. ~ It is under consideration to appoint' an expert to examine and grade all hemp before shipmont from this port as has already, been done by at. all events one jf our large shippers as far as Ms own shipments were concerned. As to the fear of unlimited production, wo believd that this is is groundless, The plaut, which grew wild in groat profusion in certain parts, has beon regarded as. a -* weed, and landowners, have gladly,, =, ; granted" licenses'- to* clear'it f off. r ''-'''■■- Pretty nearly all the available flax land has been now bought under operation, The plant, when out, . springs up freely, and it is fit for cutting again in from two or three years. Probably at paying prices tho : owners of the land would be content to. let the wild flax grow on in per: petuity; .hut no one lias yet mado th(k experiment of planting it as mercial venture;;.and ;; it ! .; is, ;very questionable whether iliis could be done profitably. On the othor hand.it now is pretty generally felt that a fairly steady market will be found In fc future for all the hemp of gjod quality fk tliat wo can pi-educe, and that, when .'',;.> lessons of adversity havo beon duly loarned,tbere is asatisfactory prospect before those of our mill-owners who stick to the business. We are satisfied that the present check will be productive of excellont results for the industry; and with a nmval of demand the trado will be resumed on a sounder basis than it was ever on before,