Children Visit Places Of Interest In Otaki

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1948, Page 2

Children Visit Places Of Interest In Otaki

As an aid and guide to the gen-,: erai direction of the children, several classes from the Otaki State Schooi visited places of interest in Otaki during the week. On Weanesday a ciass was conducted over W. D. and H. O. Wilis' tobacco processing plant at Otaki Ranway. Tne manageress of tne factory, Mrs. O. ]^. Butterton, acteu as a guide to the children and explained very clearly" all the work done by the three score girls empioyed. The children were told how the Ibaf is brougnt to Petone j from 'Nelson after being cured in] the kilns on the tobacco fields. At | Petone the leaf arrived dry and bnttie and to enabie it to be handied easily, it was fed through a plant which sprayed it first with steam and then "casing." It arrived in Otaki from the Petone plant in huge I bins, and there the stems were cut off and the leaf made into padsj and returned to Wellington. [ Apart from the "buttmg" process, j a more important one is also car- i ried out at Otaki, for it is there j that the blending of the leaf is i undertaken. "Fired" leaf, leaf ! cured by smoke from a special wood, is mported from America and the blending is done under the care- ■ ful observation of the manageress. ; The plug tobacco is taken on its ! first step towards the finished article. The plugs are made and1 after* being carefully weighed xo : two ounces, are wrapped m a smgie I leaf of fired tobacco. They are then ; sent back to Petone to be pressed into the plugs. Thousands of pounds of tobacco leaf are handled each day in tne '

factory. When the bins arrive, xne leaf is still warm and wet and tney , are kept in this condition by "put- | ting them to bed" with blankexs. j 'First the leaf is sorted so that the ends are all oue way and are sent! down a conveyer belt to a machlne, ! which Cuts off most of the .hara stem. They are then biended and packe'd for return to Wellington. The factory boasts a large canteen, complete with . an up-to-date and hygienic kitchen. Cloak rooms, an office, rest and first aid rooms complete the conveniences supplied for the staff. Fire Station Inspected Two classes, numbering appfoximately 150 pupils, the first under the care of Misses M. Lochore and J. Rogers and the secona under Misses L. Cockrell and J. Lumsden, on Wednesday visited the Otaki Fire Station, where they were given a generai outline of the workings of the apparatus, which is part and parcel of a fire fighting unit, by Firemen F. Edwards anfi R. Bills. A fire engine always seems to fascinate old and young alike, and as many of the children attending school live some distance out, they were doubtless ° inspecting a fire engine for the first time in their young lives. No second invitation to "climb aboard" was needed, and the joy of being able to don the helmets and gas masks, and direct the hose nozzle, was plainly ev;dent. Many were the promises made of recruits for the brigade In. the future. Of course there always has to be a "wag" in any party, and, the parting shot of one bright boy was, "Where we come from there is a real fire engine." -However, tne n majority' appeared well sartisfied' with their visit, and were reluctant

| * 5 ! to leave, and were very sincere in their thanks. Textiles Factory Visited On Tuesday a class was shown over the Otaki Textiies' factory m Aotaki Street. Here they viewed the complicated and technical work of making shirts and general cloth- , ing. It was apparent that the young girls were fascinated with the speed and accuracy with which the employees work. The whole of the process, from the marking out oi the garments to the final sewlng and pressing, wa^ ^learly explained by a member of the staff. When the children have seen these various industries which they may have taken for grante'd as part of their everyday life, they discuss it among themselve in the classroom. Then they set. to work and write projects on the sights they have seen, illustrating them with some of their impressions. Thus their education is advanced a fur- ' ther step and they are taught to take an interest in the country's services and product^