-3-
COMMENTS.
HONG KONG,
The Hong Kong Goverment Laboratory acts as regards these
tin assays entirely as consulting analysts. Fees are taken for the
sampling and for the assaying and the work is described in the
report of the Laboratory as unofficial or commercial work; no
Government control of any sort being exercised in the refining or
shipping. After a certificate of assay is issued, if the tin assays
as No.1 Chinese tin, the parcel is not seen again by the Laboratory.
The sampling and assay is carried out at the request of the exporter
who receives the certificates and it ensures that the whole parcel he
is buying contains 99% or over of tin. In other words, the Hong Kong
certificate safeguards the Hong Kong exporter.
The method of splitting up large parcels which have been
sampled and assayed as one lot, into smaller lots, without ensuring
that each lot is sampled separately, is in my opinion, open to
certain risk and I have in the past informed exporters of this fact.
LONDON.
I consider the method of sampling which has been practised
The work is left to wharfingers,
in London, very unsatisfactory.
who, although they have been fully instructed how to sample and the
precautions as to dirt etc. to be taken, have very many other duties
to perform and cannot give the care and attention necessary to
It appears sampling, which is in itself as important as the assaying.
incongruous to insist on two assays by well-known assayers and yet
leave the actual sampling to non-technical men with no supervision.
This lack of supervision has undoubtedly led to the grave
error which has arisen in the past with regard to the sampling of
31
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.