H.—29
52
Position of the Hemp Inddstry The general position in regard to the hemp industry of the Dominion at the present time, unfortunately, is that the quality in the larger centres is gradually going back, and has been for the past five or six years. The industry has therefore been adversely affected by the large production of low-grade fibre, and unless some united action is taken by the millers whereby the hemp will be prepared with much more care, and only lines of a uniform quality forwarded to the grading-stores, our fibre will be neglected by the overseas trade for fibres of a more even quality. The ease or difficulty with which manufacturers are able to put the fibre through the various processes in spinning has a great influence on the demand, but it should never be lost sight of that the real consumer is the one who uses the article manufactured. Rope and twine manufacturers may make goods with ease or with difficulty according to the fibre being dealt with, and in each case the article may have a good appearance and sell readily, but it is the user of the goods who proves their real value and gives them the reputation which will ultimately be responsible for increasing or diminishing the demand. It is a well-known fact that binder-twine made from New Zealand good-fair grade (72 to 78 points) cannot be surpassed by binder-twine made from any other fibres in the world, and if our good-fair is found so suitable for this purpose, how much bettor must be our " fine " grade (80 to 86 points), and. how much more likely to earn a higher reputation and increase demand. Grading Statistics. The following tables give particulars of the grading during the year ended 31st March, 1921, the Dominion totals and percentages for the previous year being also shown for comparison in the first three tables :—
Hemp (Bales).
Tow (Bales).
Grading-ports. o 1 s 0Q Fine. Goodfair. Highfair. . . ! Common. Rejected. I Condemned. Total. Luckland 12 2,653 2,431 5,052 3,007 800 242 545 1,861 161 0,665 14,084 19,403 33 332 5,4.76 4,625 8,073 455 259 1,040 42 174 324 15,303 21,573 33,897 3,040 1,295 789 1,593 5,023 323 oxton Wellington Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) ilenheim 'icton )unedin Huff iyttelton 83 1 33 464 841 2,448 147 46 196 703 4 11 11 4 15 Totals, 1920-21 .. 83 525 16,832 43,953 19,119 1,780 540 4 82,836 Percentage 01 0-03 20-32 53-00 23-08 2-14 0-00 0-004 Totals, 1919-20 .. 800 16,228 48,345 23,102 2,057 336 90,868 Percentage 0-88 17-82 53-23 25-43 2-26 0-37 Total decrease in 1920-21, 8,032 bales.
Grading-ports. First Grade. Second Grade. Third Grade. Condemned. Total. aickland 'oxton Wellington fluff 177 1,110 3,480 1,388 3,287 3,828 1,231 221 157 8 484 277 312 57 3 2 17 2 46 11 2,066 4,676 7,666 1,299 224 367 272 424 625 )unedin ilenheim 'icton Wairoa (Hawke's Bay).. lyttelton 208 264 424 625 Totals, 1920-21 .. 5,663 10,745 1,135 70 17,619 Percentage 32-14 60-98 6-15 0-43 Totals, 1919-20 .. 6,960 11,194 1,533 71 19,758 Percentage 35-50 • 57-50 7-50 0-35 T 'otal decrease in 1920-21, 1,139 bales.