THE COST OF CLUMSINESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 68, 13 December 1907, Page 2

THE COST OF CLUMSINESS.

DAMACE TO HIDES AND SKINS. . BY TELEGRAPH— PBES3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. ■ \ Melbourne, December 12. Dr. Brown, of the Agricultural Department, estimated that the losb in sheop-skins alonu by damage dono through slaughtermen using a wrong cut when skinning the animals, amounts. annually •to £125,000; the loss 'by recklcss branding- of cattle to £300,000 yearly; and another £150,000 is lost by the reckless flaying of hides. WHAT NEW ZEALAND LOSES. New Zealanders are not much better than t.hoir Australian cousins in this important little matter, and.considerable loss of money occurs annually to owners of stock. A striking object-losson of the enormous difference of value between a well-treated skin nnd-ono that, is "botched" was given at the last Manawatu Show, at the suggestion of tho Agricultural Department, by the Wellington and Taratt'aki Wool, Skin, and Hide Buyers' - Association. The 'exhibit consisted' 'of. a scries of prepared skius labelled as followsr Cowhide, prpperly flayed and cured (weight 451b5.) worth £1. : - The. samo, badly done, worth 7s. 6d. ' Calf skin proporly flayed and curcd, (weight'Blbs.), worth 4s. 6d. 1 Tho samo,. 'badly done, worth 6d.> - _ , Sheep skin, properly taken off and-dried (weight 121bs), worth Bs. 6d. . The same, badly done, worth 4s. 6d. ■ A representative of tho exhibiting association informed a Dominion reporter at the time that 25 per cent: of the calf skins sold in New Zealand came in the sixpenny group; 50 per cent, were worth 3s. or 4s. each; and only the remaining 25 per cent, were in proper condition and worth tho full 4s. 6d. The associated companies handled 100,000 calf skins last year, so that the loss to our farmers on calf 1 skins alone was about £7500. Probably the proportion of spoilt skins of cows and sheep would bo less extensive as they would bo handled by more expert operators; but the money loss is 110 doubt Considerable.