THE MILTON" POTTERY WORKS.

Evening Star, Issue 3680, 8 December 1874, Page 2

THE MILTON" POTTERY WORKS.

{Abridge I from, (hr Bruce Herald.) These works started and still owned bv Mr W. \V. White, have of late increased largely in s'ze, and the number of hands employed in them been greatly augmented, there being now many men and women at work, who have come from the pottery districts in England. and whose handiwork is visible on a 1 sides in the sha-ic of trap >ts, cnng a? d saucers, jugs, milk basins, jars, and all kinds of pottery work for domestic use, which have been brought up to the stage at which they await completion bv bring heated to an euornvus degree in a kiln. It was for the purpose of setting (ire to a kiln full of these ardeles and of so giving the finishing touch which should turn out the first specimens of the potter’s handicraft manufactured in ew Z -aland that his Uonor the Superintendent accompanied by the Provincial Treasur r, attended yesterday. fter a short interval he to the Pottery Works, the entrance to which had been handsomely decorated with arches of fern trees and other foliage as well as by display of bunting. Mr White proceeded to show Mr Macandrew and party the various . recesses of manufacture. These works were originally started for supplying drain pipes, the clay of which these pipes are made being most abundant in the immediate neighborhood. Mr White’s' success in this undertaking is now well known, and encouraged by it. ho dctei mined to go a step further by inaugurating in 'ew Zealand the manufacture of domestic ami oilier articles of pottery ware A very fine deposit of day, suitable for his purposes, way found about; fopr miles from Tokomai--1 iro ou the (Jlutba road, and having, after s >me time, procured the skilled labor iv (|uir -d, Mr White has at last had the sag's fa tion of -oeing his efforts so far crowned with success, as that the manufacture o' pot cry has arrived at a stage only requiring one more process to make it au accomplished fact.

His Honor, in inspecting the works, was taken firs: to tbe house, or “slip-kiln,” in which the clay is boiled, to render it suitable for the labor of the potter. Krotn thence he pas ed on fo the room in which such articles as are manufacture I in moulds are turned put. Theuc. j he proc* eded to where articles are format on the well-known “potter’s wheel.” After a close inspection of every part of the works, his Honor and the large party assembled, proceed d to the kiln, which had been filled with pottery for the

lin:il or glazing purposes, and here Mr ftiiac* and row lit the lire which had been laid iu reediness. Au adjournment to the open air was then made, when the Superintendent, addressing those present, said it gave him the greatest possible pleasure, in his official capacity, to put the finishing stroke to the first manufactnre of pottery in Otago ; indeed, lie thought he might almost say in New Zealand. The district might well ti-.ke credit to itself for having introduced into it this the moi-t ancient, he fancied, of all the arte, so ancient, indeed, that, as they would doubtless remember, it was mentioned in the hook of Job. He (the S.uperiut indent) hoped that the enterprise and pluck of Mr White would be profitable to him and the district. He (Mr Macandrew had no idea of the existence of so extensive a plant, giving employment to so many hands. Last year, ho might ask them to notice, the Colony had minor-'ed earthenware to the value of 1.40(100 and he felt sure they would join with him in expressing a hope that next year the boo’s sh a-e of this article might lie supplied by Otago. He would not siy ino”c at pre-smt, than in the lau ige used by him at the commencement of each Provincial Council, declaring these Pottety Works, now open. After the Superintendent and party had made an iuspecti >n of other manufacturing establishments, in the district, an adjournment was made to the White Horse Hotel, where a banquet was laid. The -uperintendent, in replying to the toast of his health, assured the company that no official act of his hj .d given him greater pleasure than the one ho had performed i hat day. The district had indeed made great progress, for he remembered when some twenty years ago he and certain other gentlemen were on their first stumping progress through the Province, to visit some settlers at the Cliuha, he was nearly downed, and got very wet in crossing the river; and so sparse was the population that he was enabled to hang his clo hea on his saddle, and ride in th a state of clothing of our first parents. ('n that occasion his mission was iu connection with local si-lf-government, which, he was sorry to say, some amougst them seemed anxious now to t art with, and which they would regret, as they would be governed by clerks from Weilington. However, he would not go into politics. He night say that they had to return without making the Clutha, as there was no boat in which to cross. The health of the Provincial Executive was proposed by the Mayor of Milton, who impressed upon the Execcutive the necessity for the construction of the Tokomairiro branch railway, which was absolutely nei ded to develop the resources of the district; and Mr Turnbull, in the course of his reply, expressed his opinion that though the cry of “ Abolish the Provinces” seemed \ opular, he did not expect to see Provincialism in Otago speedily 1 1 one away with, and concluded by proposing the “ Health of the Mayor and Corporation,” to which Mr Goodall (Mayoi) returned thanks, and drew attention tothe fact that, though their rates had always been low, they were fr e of debt, and a resolution had been passed for lighting the town.