APRIL 18.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1227

At Picton—
The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited).

At Blenheim—
The New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited).
The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company (Limited).

At Lyttelton—
The New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited).
The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company (Limited).

At Port Chalmers—
John Mill and Co.
The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company (Limited).

At Bluff—
The New Zealand Shipping Company (Limited).
The Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company (Limited).

7. For the purpose of examination and grading all phormium fibre for export shall be stored by the owner thereof in one of the appointed grading-stores at least four clear days before the grading thereof is required to be done.

8. The owner shall at the same time submit the fibre for grading by giving the grader at, and the person in charge of, the appointed grading-store in which the fibre is being stored full particulars in writing of the brands and numbers on the bales, and the total weight of the parcel.

Forms for the notification of such particulars may be obtained from the Government Printer, Wellington, at the rate of one shilling per book of fifty forms.

9. No phormium fibre will be graded unless all the foregoing provisions have been complied with; nor will any phormium fibre be graded while in a wet or damp condition.

10. Every owner of phormium fibre sending the same to any of the appointed grading-stores must make his own arrangements for the transit of the fibre to and from the store, and also for its shipment, including receiving, storage, opening of bales and drawing of barks for examination, rebaling, packing, delivery, and any other service, including insurance and protection from damage or loss of any kind, as the Government undertakes no such duty and incurs no liability in any such connection.

11. In grading phormium fibre the following will be the maximum points for allotment:—

For stripping .. .. .. 20 points.
For washing.. .. .. .. 20 "
For scutching .. .. .. 20 "
For colour .. .. .. 20 "
For strength .. .. .. 20 "
——
Total .. .. .. 100 "

12. The following will be the standards on which the grades will be determined:—

A grade (“Superior”) .. 91 to 100 points, both inclusive.
B “ (“Fine”) .. 81 to 90 " "
C “ (“Good Fair”) 71 to 80 " "
D “ (“Fair”) .. 61 to 70 " "
E “ (“Common”) .. 51 to 60 " "

13. Any bale of phormium fibre awarded less than 51 points will be condemned by the grader, and no such certificate as is hereinafter mentioned shall be issued by the grader in respect thereof: Provided, however, that any such condemned fibre may, after it has been redressed or rebaled, be resubmitted for grading, and if it is then allotted not less than 51 points by a grader a certificate may be issued in respect thereof.

14. The charge for grading phormium fibre shall be 1s. 6d. per ton or part of a ton, calculated on the actual weight. This charge shall be computed separately on each lot submitted for grading, and shall be payable by the owner on demand.

15. As soon as possible after determining the grade of any phormium fibre the grader shall impress into the leather tag attached to each bale thereof a mark (herein called a “grade-mark”) indicating the grade of such fibre as determined in accordance with clause 12 hereof; and shall also, if he is satisfied that the fibre is intended for export, sign and deliver to the owner a certificate of the said grade (hereinafter called a “grader’s certificate”) in or to the effect of the form numbered 2 set out in the First Schedule hereto. He shall also, if requested, sign and deliver a report on the fibre to the miller whose brand it bears.

16. On the request of the owner any grader shall substitute for separate certificates issued at the time of grading one inclusive certificate for two or more lots shipped by the same vessel. Blank forms for this purpose will be supplied on application to any grader, and must be filled in by the owner and submitted to the grader for his signature. The separate certificates issued at the time of grading must in every case be returned before the inclusive certificate is given.

17. Owners’ marks, which may be affixed to bales in the appointed grading-stores by owners, will be registered on application to the Secretary for Agriculture, but no such mark shall be used until the owner has been advised by the said Secretary that the mark has been registered. In no case shall the miller’s brand be removed or in any way interfered with. In every instance the owner shall notify the grader immediately before affixing such marks.

No fee will be charged for the registration of owners’ marks.

18. No person shall remove from an appointed grading-store, except for the purpose of immediately shipping it, any phormium fibre in respect of which a grader’s certificate has been issued, unless such certificate is first surrendered to a grader.

19. No phormium fibre in respect of which the certificate has been or ought to have been surrendered in accordance with the last preceding clause shall be exported until it has been resubmitted for grading, and a new certificate has been issued in respect thereof.

20. No person shall export, or attempt to export, or be concerned in exporting, any phormium fibre unless it bears distinctly impressed on the leather tag provided for in clause three hereof the miller’s brand, the number of the bale, and the grader’s mark, and unless a grader’s certificate in respect of such fibre has been issued and is still in force. A grader’s certificate which has been surrendered, or which ought to have been surrendered in accordance with any of the provisions of these regulations, shall for all purposes be deemed to be cancelled and to be no longer in force.

21. In the case of phormium fibre for export that, in the opinion of any grader, has become damaged or deteriorated after grading and before shipment, the owner thereof shall when directed by such grader to do so submit such phormium fibre at an appointed grading-store for re-examination, and shall surrender to the grader the certificate issued in respect thereof. If the grade is altered on re-examination, all charges shall be payable by the owner as in the case of an original examination.

22. The decision of any grader as to the quality, condition, or grade of any phormium fibre shall be conclusive, and no action or other proceeding shall lie against any grader or against any other officer of the Crown, or against the Crown, in respect of any erroneous decision of a grader as to such quality, condition, or grade.

23. Except to dry, redress, or rebale the fibre, or to use the same for manufacturing or other trade purposes, no person other than a grader in the execution of his duties shall remove, or cause to be removed, wholly or partially, any miller’s or owner’s tag, brand, or mark, or any grader’s mark, from any phormium fibre.

24. No person shall alter or obliterate, wholly or partially, or cause to be altered or obliterated, any miller’s or owner’s tag, brand, or mark on any phormium fibre; nor shall any person counterfeit any such tag, brand, or mark, or improperly impress or otherwise mark on any phormium fibre any mark purporting to be the brand or mark of a miller or owner, either with the proper marking-instrument of the miller or owner or with a counterfeit imitation thereof; or empty, or partially empty, or otherwise interfere with any bale of phormium fibre branded by a miller in order to put therein or substitute any other phormium fibre; or use for the purpose of branding any phormium fibre any old tag bearing any miller’s brand or grader’s mark.

25. Any person committing a breach of any of these regulations is liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty-five pounds.

FIRST SCHEDULE.

[Form No. 1.

APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF PHORMIUM-MILLER’S BRAND.

To the Secretary for Agriculture, Wellington.

I, [We], [Name], phormium-miller, of [Address], do hereby request you to register the undermentioned brand for use by me [us] in branding bales at my [our] mill situated at

in accordance with the regulations under “The Products Export Act, 1903,” governing the grading and export of phormium fibre.

Particulars of Brand.

Signature:

Usual postal address:

Dated at , this day of , 190 .

[Arms.]

[Form No. 2.

Department of Agriculture, Fibre Division,

, 190 .

GRADER’S CERTIFICATE.

The undermentioned phormium fibre has been graded by me as shown:—

, Phormium-fibre Grader.