DEARER SOAP
CAUSTIC SODA SUPPLIES RUNNING OUT
■ ■ NEW INDUSTRY FOR NEW
ZEALAND
The soap manufacturers of the Dominion are experiencing an .-.nxious time, iind (lie public have as a consequence to b:! pre|»ml to pay more to,- cleanliness tlmii they have in tho past, though soap has already advanced, considerably on pre-war prices. The icot of the tironblo 15 the deartli of caustic soda, the cleansing constituent of all soaps. To give an idea as to how caustic seda has advanced in price, Mr. A. W. Newton, of tho Caledonian Soap Works, Kaiwarrn, saye that tho price of caustic soda before tlie war was .£l2 per ton, c.i.f., in Wellington. In August, 1915, the price rese to .£l6 n?r ton. Now the price is anywhere between Ml and .£62 per ton, but even at Mich prices caustic soda is practically unobtainable, so that quotations, are uoeless. As a matter of fact, Mr. Newton Actually paid .2100 a ton for a small lino "just to keep the pot boiling." Such is tho position in the soap business locally tli a t no foap worthy of mention has been turned out at the jviiiwarra works for a month past, ana Allender and Co., of Petono, have not been able to supply orders since last' Easter. England is the ordinary source of our supply of caustic soda, whici is extensively manufactured in Lancashire, but an early embargo was pi-iced upon its exportation, and since then it could only bo imported from England und?r special pfwuii. Driblets of, low strength soda linvei fotiio through under -uch nctrmits from'limn to time, but the article is unsatisfactory. When En.r'ftnd closed her doors locnl soan maniiifii-:t:irers had to go to America for supplies, nut two years ago America placed an embargo on the export of caustic soda. That em-bii'-go was lifted about fo-.ir months ago. but the situation has not been eased io a great extent, as it: is difficult to get *hinping space, and though orders have been placed, 60 far there has dfcen no deli:iito ndvice as to any consignments nav\v* lipsn shipped- J-™» te keen tried, lint in fhe case of that i.oiMitry it was f-iind tlmt she was a buver, rot a seller, of caustic soda. Australia has not been nuite so badly oft' as New Zealand for caustic soda, owing.to the bis slocks held in pome instance, but oven there the pinch is beginning to 'be felt, and no sndu is allowed to be exported to New Zealand. ' , , , , Caustic soda, n chemical product of common salt, is not produced in New Zealand as yet. It inquires an expensive plant, and, for preference, should bo dose to salt, works. There, is hone for the industrv, however, in Ihis country. A small plant W been- erected near Chvistchurch, and though it has not yet placed any caustic soda on Hie market, it should'be on the noint of beginning the good work. A slight miscalculation in tho criminal erection of the plant nas caused some delay. The , roposnl o extract salt from tho sea at New Bnghlou appears to fit in with the idea of caustic soda works in that locality. \s the result of the sloppn.ee ot supplies of caustic soda, soan has advanced 100 por cent., and a further nse in the near future is not at all uiilik;ly.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 6
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556DEARER SOAP Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 6
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