Virtue Seen In Standardised Gassing Of Clip

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31380, 27 May 1967, Page 10

Virtue Seen In Standardised Gassing Of Clip

By aiming at standardised classing methods, wool brokers were attempting something which could lead to a significant improvement in the preparation of the national wool clip, the assistant.wool manager for the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd., at Christchurch, Mr M. M. Agar, said recently.

In presenting * paper to the South Island Wool Association's annual conference at Lincoln, Mr Agar said he thought that the success of standardising the wool dip throughout New Zealand would depend on the amount of cooperation gained from individual brokers in each centre. Combined with proposals published recently by Dr. I. E. B. Fraser, of the Wool Research Organisation, the way was open for a major improvement in the presentation of the wool dip. In presenting a Glasser’s view of the proposal, Mr Agar said standardised symbols were introduced at the beginning of this wool selling season by the New Zealand Woolbrokers' Association. These symbols referred to the deecription, count and length of a line of wool. They applied only to wool which hod been redassed or binnod by the broker/ “I believe for the system to succeed, it must be supported by stientific measurement of wool after it has been classed, so that accurate assessment of Actassed lines can be made, and the results of these co-ordinated to form a basis for standard typing," he said. < Measurement “The proposals on standardisation esnitoege tapm? measurement by electronic instruments of whole staple samples taken from brokers' redassed bin wool. . >_■ , “With the capacity to measure approximately IftOOO samples per year, this would mean that 1200 could be measured throughout New Zealand in oho season. The results of these measurements Would provide valuable information far, rim f«ynfag of standards, and also valuable information for the individual brokers. Any system which aims at regular standardisation in typing of New Zealand wool is surely a major step in the right direction. “In the near future, our aim must be to present to the manufacturer a reliable supply of the type of wool which he requires, described and standardised in such a way that there is no difficulty for the buyer in repeating the order, and knowing that it will measure up to the previous delivery.

“The appointment by the New Zealand Woolbrokers' Association of a South Island inspector is a major development in the task of standardisation. It is obvious that

“Having used the existing symbols for a full season, individual stores are still using varying descriptions for quality and length on lots of similar type. This, we must expect, because up to the present time there has been no coordination of standards, and it must be realised that a system such as this cannot be introduced in one season.

"The mechanics of introducing the system proved to be no major problem in the initial application, because, in most companies, the symbols have been applied to existing bin types with few modifications. Because of this there has been, to my knowledge, no major change required to Individual store classing systems up to the present time. * Impact ‘lie introduction of symbols has not yet really affected the dasser to any extent, but it has required more exacting inspection by the head classer qr wool supervisor, in determinjnK and applying letters indlcatIng count, length, and derealisation that wool is greater in Staple length When put beside a measurethan wag generally occeptedwhile discussing length of -ataple, the question ‘arises;? to what extent should tentter and broken wool be token Into account, when leogth.of staple is determined by visual ass&unnettt?. “One of the most important responsibilities of the broken? classing staff must be to present tosdr redassed wool to the buyer in lots as evenly classed and consistently de•cribed as possible. This is being mode increasingly difficult. because of an apparent substantial increase of variation . within a single fleece. “You villi all have seen the type of fleece I am referring to, which can vary in estimated count from M’s, to 58’s or from 46’s to 52’s within the one fleece. The only way this type of difficulty could be overcome would be to sort all' fleece wool prior to auction, and this would seem to be rather Impracticable.

there will be difficulties, but I believe these can be overcome.

“I refer to this to make the point that, in classing, we are treating the fleece as a unit and extremes such as this cannot be avoided. Another difficulty which the broker is continually faced with is the required lot average, which, with the monthly system of sales, has become even more difficult to maintain. With standardisation of classing it would be possible to combine the sale of small lota of two or three bales, which all brokers are faced With, and offer them In one catalogue as larger lots, to the benefit of both the broker and the producer. “I think it will be agreed that we should aim at classing our wool into the minimum number of types consistent with even classing. To this end, I consider there is a great need for head classers

and wool supervisors to be able to acquire in some more satisfactory way, up-to-date knowledge of end uses of New Zealand wool.

“It is reasonable to assume that standardisation, based bn measurement and end uses, would reduce the over-all number of types now being made,, and so increase the lot avenge to' the benefit of all concerned.”

The confining of the British Wool Marketing Board's fleece types to approximately 800 was attributed to the

standardisation of wool types in that country, Mr Agar said. This had been a means of reducing* the number of bales required to be shown for buyers’ inspection. The present system of showing bales for valuation in New Zealand was both expensive and space-consuming. If, through standard typing, a reduction in the number of bales required to be valued by the buyer could be achieved, this in itself would be a major factor in reducing the cost of handling wool in broken* stores. Reaction “It has been interesting to note buyers’ reaction to the system of symbols over the last season. In .the first two rounds of sales it appeared that little, if any, notice was being taken, but as the season progressed a little more interest was shown by certain sections of the buying trade. “Comments from buyers at this stage appear to fall into four main categories:—

“Those who take no notice Of symbols at all.

“Those who use them as a . guide only. “Those who require them to. be guaranteed by the , broker. “Those who will question i and discuss differences of i opinion on certain lots. “While realising there is ' little time for such discusi sion during the period the i buyer has for valuation, bene- : fit has been obtained from i these discussions. I consider 'the important point is that buyers require symbols to be i guaranteed. ' “I have seen many in- - stances of wool being bought 1 at auction to be resorted into a specified type with the buyi er estimating a certain percentage of off-sorts not suit- - able to his requirements. - During resorting, it is often i discovered that there is a i major variation in actual offi sorts, as compared with those

estimated at the time of valuing. I am referring here to lines of wool where the unopened bales were , consistent to those valued by the i buyer. “The point I wish to make is the difficulty the buyer has i in forming an accurate assess- ' ment of a line of wool in , terms of count, yield, length, ’ soundness, and degree of j scourability. “There has been a major : development over the last ! two years in regard to core testing Of wool after sales. This is carried out on instruc- : tions from buyers, and there i has been a noticeable in- ' crease in this last season. Approximately 25 per cent of ■ wool sold in our February sale catalogue was core i tested on buyers* instructions, i This again would seem to • prove the need in present-day ► trading for measurement."