THE BIRTH OF INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 985, 28 November 1910, Page 2

THE BIRTH OF INDUSTRY.

WHERE RADIUM IS MAiE. A while back through an extraordinary trend of- circumstance,. there <was placed before an enterprising youiig- manufacturer in a provincial' town what was declared to be | the original Tecipe of the finest Boot Polish in the world-a renowned one made -in England. Ine expert who produced, this invaluable formula said that, incomparable as it was,, he thought, that' one slight alteration would still further enhance its. value. ■ But prior to all this declaration, he had ■ named a sum running well into three figures as the purchasing price of the-ex-clusive information he possessed. . . . ~ The provincial business man was char--acterised.by both, sagacity .and, pluck. Moreover, his considerable experience as . a boot manufacturer and craftsman. in . leather told him that he had got to the right thing. He soiled in and boldly, bought what was cftYred. ■ ' . Tho outcome was "Radium: Boot vPok ish," an article which, although made solely in New Zealand, is said to be* without a rival in respect to r; the wonderful polish it produces. Well, indeed,; has it been termed "Radium: Shiniest oB Shoe. Shines!" and the boast has; beeni made that as α-bnrrtisher and leathe? preservative there is none, like it. Radium Boot Polish was placed in th< market, and progressed amazingly. Sd great has become the demand that has set in. that Messrs. IKEeod and Son, of Jfartinborough and Wellington, have siready had to specially construct a more* extensive manufactory. Nov.- they posrsess now and most spacious premises*, with a plant capable of turning out mi fewer" thaii 350Q tins of Radium a day. . Needless to say, the equipment at Jlartiuborough is. most complete. It would be tiresome to recapitulate it m detail,' but we can briefly mention that there is. a capacious steam boiler, various iron and copperinelting and mixing pans—one of these huge vessels being of no less than forty gallons capacity—and -innumerable bins t md boxes all of necessity in i-ha business. ._ ' . .' An 'interesting installation consists of. an admirable.mechanical filling machine ' —suspended from overhead on a ' steel shaft—which-is capable of running Radium iuto the tins with the utmost rapidity. . Seventy tins, indeed, can bo filled at a single shot. This-rate, moreover, can be. maintained all day. long. Messrs. Jl'Leod and ' Sort had two of Roberts's Patent Filling Machines at work for some considerable time past; and recently had to obtain even a third.'

'Throughout the Radium factory at Hartmborough there seems to prevail system, and a use of tho latest and best time and labour-saving appliances. The whole' plan. of operations, in short, is calculated to facilitate the process. of niauufactufc, and to produce the most perfect article of its kind that has ever been placed at the disposal of the public. No wonder, then, that tho efforts or Messrs. M'Leod and Son have been crowned with success, and that -Radium Boot Polishes—both brown and black—are now eagerly somslit after .not only throughout" New Zealand, but further afield 'still. Before closing this appreciative 1 notice of a phenomenally successful ■ colonial industry, wo should Temark thai; only tho highest quality of material ever enters into tho composition of Kadiuin Boot Polish. Tor example, tho wax used is of such a high-class character, and runs into so great a cost, that fewother manufacturers would ever dream of using that particular kind. They might' use something cheaper—but not nearlv so good. But Messrs. MLeodand Son must have brilliancy of .burnis.i. This can only be secured with one kind of wax, tho most expensive, and the best! Even tho tins in which Radium goes forth are a .special study. Thej look just as good as tho article they eontain. Again, a New Zealand manufac-, turer is to be complimented, becausethese tins are made in Auckland, from start to finish. ■ We have no" doubt that Messrs. JrLeoa and Son, of Martinborough and Wellington, will find their manufacturing resources more,taxed, than ever in. the future, because tho sales of 'KUdium'-'ato bound to steadily, expand.* .