THE MOSGIEL WOOLLEN MILLS.

Evening Star, Issue 3651, 4 November 1874, Page 2

THE MOSGIEL WOOLLEN MILLS.

Nearly two years ago we gave a full account of the Mosgiel Woollen Mills, then in their infancy, and described the machinery in operation and the various processes through which wool passes iu its progress from clothing the sheep to becoming fitting material for human wear. Since that time, o rapid has bsen the increase of business, that it has been found necessary to make additions both to the buildings and machinery, Ws do not know that anything absolutely new has been added, but, as in every incipent manufacture, plant that anwered every purpose in the first instance is superseded by superior appliances. Very possibly the first cost of the best plant may be greater than the return will justify, until the establishment has secured a firm commercial footiag ; but when that is attained, the truest c ouomy is to adopt every labor-saving procesi-, vvuether mechanical or chetnica', as apart from increased production at the same amount of effort, by that means only can competition be successfully met. This commercial principle has been acted upon by the present managers of the woollen works, with what success the handsome dividend rec .ived by the shareholders is the best att.station. The improvements mide are v: vbic throughout t .e establishment. 'I he 'cashing process is improved, and the time 8-iortened ; better arrangement are in prota or Eyeing ; more floor room has been given to the carding and spinning departinputs ; more looms are at work, and a greater variety of patterns is produced. These evidences of increased demand have ren-der-d additional buildings necessary, which ue built of brick instead of wood as •oruieriy, and being specially designed oar the processes carried on in them, inhere is no lots of space, nor any inconvenient crowding of machinery. Formerly the weaving was carried on upstairs, at a g;eat expense of labor and trouble in taking too material up and down stairs. This expense is now saved, and carding, spinning, and weaving are carried on on the same floor! Amongst other important alterations is a drying room, heated by steam. This puts change of weather altogether out of calculanon. Another boihr has been added to supply the inc eased demand tor steam, it ia conveyed round the room in a series of iron pipes, and the heal ean be raised to 169deg. r area., or more, were it necessary, but that is quite sufficient for all purposes; and aa ihe cloth is dried with certainty, and thus ready for the market in a small portion of the time necessary lor weather-drying, the saving in interest of money alone will more than pay for the additional plant. nother neat brick building has been aided on the right hand side of the entrance road to the works. It has more the look of a library or church than or a factory, but on entering it we found it was devoted to the manulacture of knitted hose. Ingenious as are the devices by which human wants are supplied, we know of noue more remarkable than the stocking Lom In weaving cloth, all of the processes aro s en: the crossing ot the threads of the warp and weft, the movement of the shuttle aud the beam can be followed by the eve • but he must have a keen and r.adv siuht who can follow the movements of a stocking fraa.e, an invention nearly 300 years old. these who watch a lady knitting and nicking up loops OB a continuous thread singly act the various movements ot the hand rlquisite to place them on the needle so that they can be looped on to the next row by a similarly grvdual process. In the stocking fSm e a whole row is looped up at one movement of the frame. “One continuous thread forms k W il r? and w ? ffe 5 &nd «the thread ia not by this operation tied in knots, suoh as ocouy in flaaJUnp neto, the aeehs eft to* t;

but at the same time the web acquire a degree of elasticity which no other form of woven plexus presents ” The hosiery produced at Mosgid is <f the best quality, and the demand s s ;cV that whereas two ago one frame ah me was w rked, it has been found naary u.> devote cons derable floor space to this branch oi manuf jcture Another important addt tion has been the wool warehouse, c .pablc o> containing wool sutnci> ut to load one of our largest vessels. Even this is necessary in a wool-growing country, for we do not suppose squat tors would be readi y found who would hold their wool in ihe c l, ance of meeting the < ctuaud of a s'nglc establishment in the Co'ony. As the bu* ness of the factory lias so much increased, a larger number of hands are < raid. yed. and neai cottages have been budt tor the re ideuces of the employes. Thus a small township is growing up, a possible beginning of an industry that may at r o distant date do much to render New Zeal and, not only independent of hut a successful competitor with Great Britain in the world's market. To Vr Morrison and the manager of the works w* are indebted for the courtesy shown in visiting this very interesting factory, and for an explanation of the various processes.