DAMAGED WOOL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1315, 13 May 1897, Page 5

DAMAGED WOOL.

Writing on the important question of damage received by wool while on shipboard, “ Landewar,” in his “ Stock and Station Notes” in the Pdstoralists' JReview, tells a story which illustrates how much damage often occurs. He says There has, it appears, been a lot of argument lately in London about the Waikato’s damaged wool. For one ship, if aaalleged, 11,000 and odd bales are affected, it is a record “smash.” Once I was on.a wool ship from Adelaide to London. Never mind where we filled up, it wasn’t at the former port. But hundreds of bales were brought on to the wharf from the dumping-house and stacked there and covered with tarpaulins. One day a storm came along and blew those tarpaulins right across Spencer’s Gulf. There was also a little rain—not much —which damped the tops of the stack < of bales. “ Damaged ! ” said the mate of the the agent, “ let ’em lie in the sun for an hour and they’ll be as right as ever.” So, apparently, they were, and in due course down they went into the hold, where “ crinoline ” and “ nobbier ” screws soon sandwiched them into their places—two in onp. Well, it is hard to tell where or how soon the mischief began—probably before New Zealand was rounded on the stretch for Cape Horn. Anyhow, ic was remarknd during the passage that even in cold weather the tok'sle was snug and warm, whilst in the saloon the stove was not needed. In the tropics t*he heat fore and af', below, was almost- unbearable. “Quite a warm weather trip, indeed ! ’ exclaimed all hands. And no one susp <ved the truth for a minute, or if fit o '- -h ! fh<v held their tongues. The only matter of any significance was that the old skipper carried six topgallant sails, where, in the ordinary state of things, he would have only carried three. But that may have been a mere detail. However, when the hatches were taken off in the South WestTndia Dock there was the cargo, a brown, baked, hot mass, into which, on tha dumpingbands being taken off, you couldn’t put your hand without raising a blister. It looked for all the world as if every fleece had been cut from black sheep, soaked in boiling water, half-dried in a limekiln, then pressed and dumped. A row? Well, there was, rather. Wool, you see, in those days was wool, and worth a shilling, and over, the pound weight. And all sorts of people swore all sorts of things on behalf of the ship, the consignors, and the insurance companies. Eventually the latter a fell in,” and to the extent that made eorae of them feel very uncomfortable.

This, of course, is all apropos of the Waikato, whose wool turned out in an exactly similar condition, and as an object lesson in showing what harm slightly wet bales may work in a whole cairgo. Ob, and, by the way, in all their searchings after the truth, that j little incident of the “ willy-willy ” on the pier at never came to light. And after this yarn we come quite naturally to the point at issue. Of course, in Brisbane (where the Waikato loaded), they don’t let bales get damp at this time of day, although much of their contents are not worth a shilling scoured let alone in the grease. But -at many Queensland and other stations one of the most important adjuncts to a woolshed —namely, a wool room, is, as our literary journalists put it, “ conspicuous by its absence.” As the bales 1 come from the press they are rolled out on to a rough platform of saplings, sometimes only their own thickness off the ground. E-ich day’s work is added to the pile, heaped up 30ft high waiting for a carrier. Each evening the great stack is covered with more or less—generally less—waterproof tarpaulins, old bags, tents, wool packs, anything at all, as it gets higher and bulkier. And then, one night most likely, comes along “ willy-willy ” Presto ! away fly the coverings ; down pours the rain ; mud, lights, all hands ; limitless profanity; wet bales by the dozen. Cai riers refuse them'? Not he ! Railway 1 ? Not much ! By the time they arrive at the ship's side, and the dumping machine has had its will of them, they are all one colour. Result : For the sake of an outlay of £2OO or less, perhaps £IO,OOO of damage done. Another result : Presently the insurance companies will refuse to insure any shed that has no wool-room, or any clip that has not been stored in one. Q E.D.