THE SHIPMENT OF FLAX.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3115, 4 February 1871, Page 2

THE SHIPMENT OF FLAX.

[From the Nebson Examinee/] The collapse that has taken place in the flax trade of New Zealand within the last twelve months is a serious blow to the colony, and any fadts that throw light on so unexpected a calamity should have publicity. The circumstances which caused New Zealand flax, valued • in London in the early part of 1869 at £50, to fall in 1870 to £32, and £83 have been explained. When commanding ahigh price, there wasbutlittle of our flax in the market, and it was sought after as a substitute for Manilla hemp, which then brought an uuusually high rate. The cheapening of the latter fibre, and a better supply, restored it again to the trade, and New Zealand flax not having established itself with the manufacturers, who in most cases had used it only experimentally, was dismissed for the article they had been accustomed to use. , We must therefore accept the fact, that for the best kind of flax as now prepared, £85, a ton,, not £50, is the maximum value in the London market, and as that is a price which will yield a fair profit, those who engage in the industry must be content with it. But now arises a very serious question. The best samples of flax bring from £30 to £32 a ton when landed in London free of damage on the passage, but as more than two-fifths of the shipments were returned in the brokers' catalogues as ''sea damaged," and no inconsiderable portion as " rotten," it is not surprising we hear of the sales at £7 to £12' a ton, while large quantities appear unsaleable at any price. We have before us the Messrs Noble's report and catalogue of the 12th of August last. This catalogue gives the particulars of 4792 bales of flax exposed to auction, when only 1350 bales found customers. Of these, '4792 bales, 3674 were exported direct to London, while 1118 reached home through Melbourne and Sydney. Of the direct shipments, above twofifths, or 1094 bales are reported " sea damaged," while of those made in Aua* tralian vessels less than one-seventh— 121 bales— are so returned. These are the averages of the whole ; . wifh particular vessels the proportion damaged as much greater, as will be seen by the following table, which gives the names of all the vessels, the ports from which they sailed, and the number of bales damaged and undamaged in : each : — Shipped bsom ISTbw Zealand Poets. Sound. Dagd. City of Auoklaud, Auckland .., frlß 111 City of Dunedin, Dunedin ... 148 49 Glenmark, Lyttelton 802 189 Heleogjee, Auckland ... ... 437 403 Bhili^Nelson, Canterbury ... 108 25 Melita, Wellington 57 50 Excelsior, Auckland 12 Ballarat, Blenheim 63 123 Jennie Ellingwood, Napier ... 87 Timaru, Dunedin 43 20 Electra, Wellington 59 9 England, Canterbury 332 100 Pride of the Thames, Auckland 14 22 Otago/Otago 54 Mary Shephard, Auckland ... 11 ' 3 Helen, Lyttelton 147 8 . 2580 1094 Shipped peom Austbauan Poets. Sound. Dagd. Geo. Thompson, Melbourne ... 123 0 Thyatria, Sydney 129 7 Philip Nelson, Sydney ... 422 80 Mangalore, Melbourne... ... 75 ,6 Superb, Melbourno 12 3 Damascus, Sydney 107 43 Jason, Sydney 129 38 997 121' To show how runious the shipping of flax in unsuitable vessels has proved, we select a single case, respecting which we happen to know a few particulars ; — The ship Ballarat which cleared out at Blenheim early in the year, had on board 176 bales, prepared by Messrs Logan and Sinclair, of Kaituua, Marlborougli, whose flax is admitted by all who have seen it to be as well dressed as any sent from the colony. Of these 176 bales, 131, or more fhan two-thirds of the whole shipment were returned as " Sea damaged." The undamaged bales gave an average price of .£3O 11s 8d a §ton ; the whole shipment only realised £21 Is 6d a ton, and jet when the bales left Messrs Logan and Sinclair's shed all were as nearly as possible of equal qualify and condition, Here are two industrious men stripped of their profits and their occupation ruined, through shipping their flax in a vessel with open seams in her deck, or otherwise unsuitable for carrying such cargo. Flax, like cotton, damages readily by sea- water, anid a better class of vessels must be secured before the flax trade of New Zealand can receive fair play. The depreciation in price is bad enough, and for that there is no remedy ; but it will be the duty of merchants to save those engaged in the flax trade from the runious losses which befel them last season, by making shipments in unsuitable vessels.