SHINES LIKE SUNSHINE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1366, 17 February 1912, Page 7

SHINES LIKE SUNSHINE.

THE WHENCE OF "RADIUM.'*

'A VISIT TO THE WORKS.

There are some industries, like "many a flower," bprn. to blush unseen, and there are others from their inception born to hitxthe public as tho very ones want fi|, so that their blush, if they preson one,: must'be tho observed of tho who! world. There, is a case in point. A cor tain manufacture .now . endeared to tl\ heart of tho discriminating public is re garded by many as one of the numerou articles of the kind imported from land beyond the sea, and has from sheer meri won a foremost place against nil compe titers. The reference is to tho manufac tares of Radium Polishes, Ltd., of llaT tinborongh and Wellington, which are no; m. well Icnown front the North Cape fc Stewart Island, Radium has been cleverl; as mineralised sunshine, am as the Radium boot and shoo polishes ar tho sunniest of all shines, the name tha distinguishes them is peculiarly apt. Thi history." of the "Radium" polishes road Ukie .lan'. industrial fairy story Mr. M'l.cod, senior, of Martinborough aided by a formula originally obtainei frppi England, worked steadily to perfec on ideal boot .polish., in connection wit] his boot-manufacturing business. II succeeded beyond his wildest expectations wjd "his polishes became locally famous JAbout four . years ago his son, Mr. Mat tnew A. At leod, the present manag ing director •of Radium Polishes, Ltd. conceived-the idea that there was a bi world, waiting- for the article, basing hi calculation the known qualities o other polishes lon the market, lie com raenceu on" Wellington,'. and Wellingtoi received,,the article,with'idpen arms. Mai tmboroiigh became too remote a place a a manufactory, ...So., about four month ago only, Wellington .was made the dis tributing centre,'atid a few weeks later i large factory was started at Berhampor (on Adelaide Road), from which poin. "Radium" manufactures radiate to ever; nook and corner of Jv'ew- Zealand. With the knowledge of the proved meri of the Radium polishes—black and tanRs. 'bobt varnishes' and leather pr'eserva tires; it is almost"superfluous to descan on. their' qualities as shines. Appliec according to ■ instructions, they indu& a mirror-like shine —a shine, too, whicl lasts! That is important! There ar plenty of shoe shines that produce a bril liarit--'.shine', Blit how long doe 3 it last Take notice of; this—all but the ban footed !•

ih® company not only manufactures black ;afid-tan-polishes; but it has extended its-" operatibng- to.' fan'!'creams, with amazing.' results. ' -There 'are many wearers' of tan boots arid shoes, who cannot understand, for .the life of 'them why after a > week or.' two their footwear begins to lose colour-tone. They may have cleaned tbeni regularly with ordinary polish or cream, arid yet the surfaco has lost its orgiriiil: tone. Tho reason is obvious. They "have'either used dark polish on light ; tan boots or vice versa, without thinking. The Radium' people have noted this lack-in tan creams,'and are setting themselves .out to cure it by manufacturing high-class dark and light tan creams to suitatt classes'sind shades of tail, leather. People-should be careful for the future in buying the polish that harmonises with the particiflar shado of their •hrfes. .

■ .$. yisit "tb the Radium factory at Beiliafflppre is illuminating. One, seeing the cases, boxes, and' trays filled with thousands upon thousands of tins of .polish, is'inclined-to ask—ls so much boot polish i;>:edin the 'vorld? Yet there are the handS^* going 1 hammer and tongs turnine out'myriads of the bright, little tins, the contents .of which aro destined to plav so important a part in that attribute sai'd to - be- next to godliness. First there is the storeroom, piled lip with cases, and Backs o! ingredients from all parts of the world—China, .Brazil,. Austria, and England. What they are only those immediately concerned know, and they won't tell JNext-W fli^oillfe'.rcMri, 'ttfiiJre a number Pf -(each' a' - an? gently boiled, not directly, but in an ingenious-steam-box, - into" which', the J'- el ? otI y- Having been steambotled the requisite time, the contents, are emptied into a big'so-gallon mixer, and there, churned until thoroughly coinpounded. ;Thatis.'not the'end. From the tniier the fluid polish is conveyed to a large double-sided' cistern, where by an inflow of cold water or steam, the mixture is cooled or heated to tho required temperature before it is run off. The next operation is iilling tho tins. This is done with a Roberts's patent filling machine (of ■which .there, are six in , use). This u,a double-sided round steal receptacle, tapering" to a "double outlet at the bottom, where, thero is a tap to govern the flow. This machine (whion 'pan be -warmed or cooled : to requirements' in order to;; maintain fl. smooth,.even consistency), travels over the tables on a steel shaft', and-its mouth' may bo directed to any part' of, the r table on which 'stand the trays fiUed with tins ready to receive- tho mixture. : When cool, tho surface of the mixture' is' ; covered by discs of silver paper, the lid is firmly placed on, tho tins are packed in light cardboard boxes (put together on-the'premises), and the boxes nre-istacked in'cases-then, heigh, for the outer world! I

All prudent housekeepers know the Radium Floor Polish. If they have not tried it, they must, as it is the best. It produces a brilliant and permanent shine, and what is : wonderful in a floor polish, can be walked.'on without any danger from slipping. The husbands of wiL Zil a / I l adlum Ploor Polish will i ■ ",', ore - Some floor - S P ro^l Q ni to t' le opposite effect , 3®. growth of the "Eadiun," bihiness is evidenced by facts. Tho 50--?i " ot ' nr S6 enough for the demand it will soon be working aloii"r mixc r iJ I,ras nU o?cthe°r too crrfdo!to-;lay- out the emptv: tins bv thn l leyv^ are-conveyed ii cases to the floor/above, and. emptied into a thA&rw $ ™°-f > vhicll ..opens above thotables. .Mhen a supply of tins is er , rjy fcw the.,-, month, is .opened,"and ont thev is all beautifully; arranged. The tins, it might bo mentioned, are vcrv neat in shape and attractive in the letterpress udeagn. They, are mado by Harvey "nd-Sons.'-of Auckland. To avoid any possible, confusion, the brown polish is peked m,brown boxes,- with blue printing setting out the contents, and the black Printing, th* * ? operation commences the . can . till . 4000 tins to Ofrt • * vt he . . present rate of growth:.the .. capacity . will havo. to . be- :doubl«i-.- before long. It i.s delightful know-that is a Dominion- industry. frombeginning to end,..and that tho quality ,is so surpassiVJy excellent-as-to', command such immedi-' ate. ; su.ccess.*. • i