CO129-553-8 Tin- analyses of assay 11-3-1935 - 4-3-1936 — Page 32

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the 28 lb. slabs. The Metal Exchange rule has been that one slab

in each draft should be taken for sample. It appears to have been

assumed that the tin slabs would always weigh 1 cwt. and this would

give a 10% sample. When however, slabs weighing 28 lbs. were received

here, the lack of technical supervision led to one slab in a draft

still being taken, which only gave a 2% sample. The wharfingers

kept to the printed instructions of 1 slab per draft, whereas a

technical man would at once have raised the question. It was not

until my visit to the Docks that the point was noticed and the London

Metal Exchange rules were altered. It is to be noted in this respect

that all the parcels of tin assayed by Messrs. Daniel C. Griffith & Co.

in recent years which failed to reach the 99% standard were landed

in 28 lb. slabs.

CONCLUSIONS.

I consider that the complaints made by individual firms

and taken up by the Committee of the London Metal Exchange should

have been thoroughly investigated by them in England before any

reference was made to the Colonial Office or to Hong Kong. No

attempt was made to ensure that the Hong Kong certificate applied

only to the lot under question. In some cases, I myself had difficulty

in connecting the Hong Kong certificate with the corresponding

certificate of English assayers owing to the difference in the

shipping mark on the Hong Kong certificate and that supplied on the

sample from the Docks. No attempt was made by the individual

importers or by the London Metal Exchange to ensure that the sampling

here was accurate. I would strongly urge that in future, before any

complaints of inaccuracies in the Hong Kong assays are made,

the above two points be investigated first.

that