H.— 29

44

As usual, a number of requests were received from millers for instructional visits. These were attended to as promptly as circumstances would permit, and in nearly all cases with good results to the millers, who took a keen interest in the work. Grading Statistics. The following tables give particulars of the gradings during the year ended 31st March., 1919, the Dominion totals and percentages for the previous year being also shown for comparison in the three first tables. Owing to congestion in stores no grading was carried out at Blenheim during the year under review, all the Marlborough output being dealt with at Picton and Wellington.

Hemp (Bales).

Tow (Bales).

Stripper-slips (Bales).

Grading-port. m' o 1 Fine, ft 3 CO Goodfair. Highfair. Fair. Common. Rejected. Condemned. Total. Auckland Napier Foxton Wellington Lyttelton Blenheim Picton Dunedin and Bluff 1 3,085 690 2,722 4,245 114 12,925 610 21,820 31.306 15 10,518 195 7,404 14,745 2.704 3 825 1,242 105 57 29,395 1,498 33,045 51,875 225 174 96 259 157 15 6 300 345 949 37 6,257 11,243 1,502 • 27 682 20,053 75 Totals, 1918-19 .. 571 12,150 72,970 44,105 6,276 596 105 136,773 Percentage 0-41 8-92 53-32 32-23 4-61 0-43 0-08 Totals, 1917-18 .. 580 12,485 79,742 56,385 11,520 1,756 350 162,818 Percentage 0-35 7-66 48-92 34-71 7-07 1-07 0-21 Total < iales. .ccrease i: 1918-1! i, 26,045 1

Grading-port. First Grade. Second Grade. Third Grade. Condemned. Total. Auckland Foxton Wellington Picton Lyttelton Dunedin and Bluff 99 1,596 3,889 426 259 1,717 3,247 3,805 83 305 1,712 1,931 535 -407 10 286 15 57 4,033 5,393 8,158 519 564 2,886 1,047 127 Totals, 1918-19 .. 6,669 10,869 3,930 485 21,553 Percentage 30-0 50-0 18-0 2-0 Totals, 1917-18 6,445 17,343 11,071 1,641 36,500 Percentage 17-55 47-58 30-33 4-54 Toti ,1 decrease in [918-19, 14,9^ 7 bales.

Grading-port. First Grade. Soeoud Grade. Condemned. Total. ellington (1918-19).. 599 599 Totals, 1917-18 .. 226 1,855 24 2,105 Decreas se in 1918-19, 1 ,506 bales.