July, 1910.] 



19 



Fibres, 



up to this point which would be above 

 the average, for example, of last year, 

 and would mean on that issue more 

 money actually given by the trade for 

 water. Then there is the operation of 

 ascertaining the actual amount of added 

 moisture in a given parcel. This is a 

 phase of the problem that has had care- 

 ful investigation from some it) the trade 

 well able to form conclusions of a 

 reliable character from which guidance 

 may be got. The tabulating of such 

 detail is of the highest value in en- 

 deavouring to check this fraudulent 

 custom. It has been found that as much 

 as 25 to 30 per cent, of moisture was in 

 certain parcels this season. 



The theories about the creating, pro- 

 pagating, and arresting of heart damage 

 in jute are numerous. In some quarters 

 it is held that so long as the jute is in a 

 thoroughly web and cold state no damage 

 will take place. But let the fibre begin 

 to dry, and immediately rotting is in- 

 duced. Heat and moisture in excess 

 of what is natural are a combination 

 from which there is no escape unless by 

 placing in a cool warehouse or covered 

 erection, where the heart damaging pro- 

 cess is instantly stopped. The highest 

 allowance so far given for heart damage 

 has been 28 per cent- 



This has been a crowning year in 

 arbitration for quality. The parcels 

 submitted have literally been by the 

 hundred, and the awards have ranged 

 from 5s. to 25s., plus 50 per cent, per ton. 

 Again, the native balers were the great 

 sinners, packing too often without any 

 regard to quality or selection. A num- 

 ber of them made up their tenders in a 

 half-honest sort of style, but others 

 seemed not to care in the least how they 

 fulfilled their contracts, and nothing 

 was too bad or unlike jute to put into 

 the bales. Invoicing back had to be 

 resorted to frequently, and there was 

 evidence all through of the baling being 

 done to accord with the price. Private 

 balers made some effort to give the jute 

 they sold, but many of them have not 

 been exempt from the just aud consider- 

 ate treatment of the arbiter when the 

 lowering of the standard was, as in the 

 majority of cases, not very great. In 

 individual instances severe measures 

 were called for, but to the credit of that 

 branch of the trade they were very rare. 

 The cargoes of the " Baron Ogilvy," 

 "Loch Tay,"and "Madura" were seri- 

 ously complained of for ship damage. 



One or two of the native first marks 

 have fallen from their high estate this 

 season, and have become second rate, 

 but others, and notably diamond DS 

 and Bullub have earned their good 



name. There has been a great deal of 

 excellent jute, but on the other hand 

 never has more rubbish been seen in any 

 season. Several of the spinners, who 

 were wont to use a proportion of the 

 heart SCO grade in their batch have 

 been obliged to discontinue it, and even 

 the red SOC grade is not what it was. 

 On the whole the private first marks 

 have been worth the extra price asked 

 for them, aud yet some of the firms who 

 generally do a large business in their 

 marks have been able to do very little 

 this season, as consumers will not pay 

 the extra price. All the fine districts 

 are turning out a lot of capital jute, al- 

 though occasionally the spinners have 

 to complain of the want of spinning 

 quality and loss in waste. Some of the 

 Daisee was never better — well grown and 

 full of substance, and plenty of length — 

 but there is also a proportion of terrible 

 trash. On the average, as far as seen 

 and tested, the jute undoubtedly shows 

 a deterioration it does not appear 

 possible to obviate. The Government 

 with its experimental farms has had 

 time in which to show something for 

 all the trouble and expense it has 

 been at. 



Once more the jute crop with its fore- 

 casts aud estimates is uppermost, and 

 the trade is in the attitude of wonder- 

 ing how it is to be this season. Not that 

 it has forgotten how sadly it was misled 

 last season, or how heavily it lost by 

 following too readily along the path of 

 error aud misconception laid out for it 

 by the Government officials. Final esti- 

 mate, 6,360,800 bales ; outturn of the 

 crop, 7,854,420 bales. It was rather 

 ominous to be told at the time of the 

 first estimate that in the districts there 

 was little of a carry-over from the 

 former crop, and later to have this state- 

 ment withdrawn by a correction that 

 showed a greater remnant of old jute 

 than would keep Dundee going for a 

 year. Many severe censures have been 

 passed upon the authors of this misdeed, 

 but none too severe, especially after the 

 declaration in the beginning of the year, 

 when attention was drawn to the pal- 

 pable mistake. The injury to the trade 

 through being saddled with dear jute 

 was something incredible. 



This season the figures given by the 

 final estimate are 7,295,580 bales, or 

 about 560,000 bales less than last season. 

 The acreage is in rouud numbers, 1£ 

 millions less than in season 1907-8, and 

 this is reported to be taken up with rice 

 instead of jute. How this season will 

 turn out none can say, but there is al- 

 ready a suspicion that the heavy im- 

 ports into Calcutta have been kept up 



