The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas, et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1882. The Recent New Industries of the Colony.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 787, 7 November 1882, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas, et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1882. The Recent New Industries of the Colony.

TOWN EDITION. [lssued ai 4.35 p.m. >

It is highly satisfactory to notice that the talk about the introduction of new industries during the last two or three years has not all ended in smoke. On the contrary, several of (hem have been established and seem likely to last; and that too without any artificial stimulus, from what is called “'protection.” That stimulus has long been known by political economists to be in effect something like the artificial support rendered to one learning swimming, of placing corks under his arms. He gets on well enough while the corks are

there, but as soon as they are removed, he incontinently flops under water and soon swims like a stone. The founders of our industries have done well in trusting to their own energy and skill to protect themselves. Among the first of these new industries of our recent colonial history has been the starting of woollen factories. The two establishments at Kaiapoi and Mosgiel can already stand firmly on their own bottom, and turn out goods in large quantities, which, taking quality and price together into consideration, can easily compete with the products of the looms of the world. The Kaiapoi Woollen Factory as the one at present nearest to us especially interests us. At the last annual meeting, not a month back, a dividend of ten per cent was proclaimed, after several thousands of pounds had been carried to the reserve fund. No less than 500 hands were employed in the Factory, although at starting first of all, two or three years back, there were not one tenth of the number, and the wages of all the men were the highest market rates in the colonies. At our own neighborhood and at Oamaru other woollen factories will ere long be in full operation and probably win a like success to that experienced by the Kaiapoi Company. Nor is wool the only native product that is being turned to account. Paper is being made partly from rags and partly from silver tussocks at both Mataura and Dunedin, and we were gratified lately to hear that at Invercargill, the headquarters of the Mataura Company, the colonial article has almost driven the imported out of the market. At present only brown and grey wrapping papers are manufactured at these establishments, but we are informed that the Directors contemplate before long extending their operations to printing paper also. Then, again, the growth of linseed and the manufacture of its products are making capital headway. The seed and straw together yield the farmer about L2O an acre. The manufacture of the fibre into twine, whipcord, and rope has all of a sudden taken a wonderful start, and at the recent Christchurch Exhibition there were several samples of all those articles grown and manufactured in the colony of so good a quality that it would require a fine expert to tell the difference from the corresponding articles from England. Only this week we have learnt that Southland has been added to the list of linseed growing places, and that Mr Moffitt has successfully commenced it

at his farm at Edendale, near the Invercargill and Dunedin railway. In another new enterprise Ashburton has led the way in our part of the colony, at least, and the starting of the local Cheese and Butter Factory is likely to be a great benefit to the district by furnishing farmers and dairymen with a constant market for their produce, and also by adding another to the list of the exports to the Home Country. Altogether it may safely be said that if the colony is not yet in a completely successful monetary condition it is certainly on the high road to success. All honor to those who have been the pioneers in starting it along the right road !