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Messrs.Glen Allen, to whom reference is made in
Nos. 3 and 8, but occasionally, the services of the
Government Analyst were sought by firms, and in such
cases analyses were carried out and certificates
supplied with the Government's authority on payment
of a suitable fee. Only, therefore, with the Government
Analyst's assays need the Government of Hong Kong
be concerned.
Mr.Branson explained that in cases where
the Government Analyst was employed, he had no know-
ledge of the tin until the moment he went to the
Refiner's or Merchant's go-down to take samples. He
would there find a stack of tin slabs and of these
10% plus 1 are taken from a pile at random, Samples
are taken from each of these slabs in the manner
explained in the last enclosure in No.9. When the
drillings are taken away for analysis in the Govern-
ment laboratory, the slabs concerned are stamped
as up to standard and there is an understanding that
these slabs shall not be moved until the results of
the analysis are reported and a certificate supplied
from the Government Analyst's office. In cases where
the analysis shows the tin content to be below 99%,
slabs have to be re-mi
-med. In other cases where
the certificates can be given, the Government at that
point loses all further touch with, or responsibility
for, the slabs. They supply normally eight copies
of the certificate, and the certificate is to the
effect that the average tin content of the stack
(from which the 10% plus 1 have been taken at random
for analysis) is not less than 99% as based on an
analysis of 10% plus 1 of the slabs.
The stack and the certificates are then
entirely in the hands of the exporter who often
splits up the stack for export in different consignments
and
Page
Page
10% +1.
and he has eight copies of the certificate for
use with the various consignments. This system
would clearly present opportunities of substi-
tution or other forms of dishonesty on the
exporter's part, and Mr. Branson stressed also
the fact that only a relatively small number
of the slabs in the stock were, in fact,
analysed, and owing to the rather crude (though
on the whole astonishingly efficient) refining
methods of the small Chinese firms, it was not
impossible that in a certified stack there would
be individual slabs which would have a tin con-
tent slightly less than 99%. It was therefore
possible, though it must be rare, for a split
consignment out of the stack to be composed
of sub-standard slabs and, admittedly, an
importer must be aware that he is taking a risk
on accepting the Hong Kong Government's analysis
of the average if he relies on a split consign-
ment conforming precisely with the average figure
or, at any rate, not falling below it.
Mr.Branson said that he would be very will-
ing and indeed would like to discuss the com-
plaints which have been made, with the London
Metal Exchange, or with importing or Refining
houses in this country, and we are inclined to
suggest that we should now write to the London
Metal Exchange (See No.1 on 33863/34) and Messrs.
Strauss & Co. (See No.2 in this file), first of
to both
all explaining, that the Government cannot accept
responsibility for the analyses made by Messrs.
Glen Allen, or any other private Analysts in
Hong Kong, and going on to tell the London Metal
Exchange what the Governor says in No.9 and men-
tioning that Mr.Branson is on leave and will be
happy
No comments yet.
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