INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2132, 23 December 1880, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

The usual monthly meeting of the Industrial Association was held on the 22nd, at the rooms of the association. Mr B. Allan, president, ocoupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of members. In reference to the School of Art the Chairman mentioned that the Board of Governors were follewing up the subject. An extract was read from a letter from Mr W. H. Espenette, suggesting that the association should urge upon the Board of Governors the necessity of carrying out Mr Beeves' suggestion at the meeting of the Board of Governors held reoently, that they should see if there was not a competent drawing master for the Sohool of Art in the Colony. It was resolved that the matter be left in the hands of tho committee. There was on the table samples of refuse fibre from Mr Chinnery's flax works, which had been sent to over to Geelong to the paper works there, and which he thought would be of great interest to the Colony as a whole. On the table also were some very splendid samples of plumbago sent by Messrs Smart and Newby. Some letters had been received from Meßsrs Newby and Mitchell, which would be read. Papers would bo read by Mr Gray,-of Canterbury College, on the manufacture of cement, and Mr Ulrioh on potato farina. He might say that Messrs Gourlay and Meyers were present, and had laid on the table specimens of looally made wheat starch.

Mr Newby's letter was road. A letter from Mr Mitchell was also read, stating that the New Zealand beers at the Melbourne exhibition had taken three first prizes as against the whole colonies, from which 150 samples had been sent in. He also referred to the fact that Messrs W. H. Smith and Son had entered into a contract with the Victorian Government for supply of coal for the railways at 14s lOd per ton delivered at Melbourne and Geelong. On the motion of Mr Jameson, a vote of thanks was accorded to Messrs Mitchell and Newby for their letters. In reply to Mr Wood, the Chairman said that there was no application from paper makers registered in the registry of the Association. Mr Grey then read a very exhaustive and interesting paper on the manufacture of cement, traoing the various methods of making cement from the time of the Romans to the present day. Mr Gray, at the conclusion of his paper, stated that he would contribute a second paper on the subject of recent improvements in cement making. In reply to Mr Jameson, Mr Gray said that a high temperature would be got with coke, but in Germany anthracite coal was used with great success. In reply to Mr Wood, Mr Gray said that the Malvern ooal would not be good, as there was so much ash in it. There was, he believed, a seam of anthracite coal on the property of Messrs Smart and Co. There was no sulphur in anthracite coal. A good sample would contain 90 to 95 per cent, of carbon. In his opinion the character of the fuel was aB important a matter as the quality of the materials for making cement. Of course where the mechanical processes were equal preference would be given to those days whioh contained the greatoat amount of alkalies. The German cement was far better than the English, and the former used the dry process. The test for fineness for the German cement was by passing through _ a sieve with 3500 meshes to an inch, whilst in England the test was 2500. After some discussion, in which Messrs Lambert, Andrews, Ingram, and Gray took part, a cordial vote of thanks was passod to Mr Gray. It was resolved to ask Mr Gray to give the second of his papers at the meeting of the committee on the second Wednesday in January, and that the first be allowed to be printed. A paper was then read by the President from Mr O. A. Ulrich on the manufacture of potatoes into farina. The writer stated that 100 tons of potatoes would produce twenty tons of farina, which would bring £640 in

England, while the cost of production would be £379, which would leave a profit of £261 on the twenty ton* of farina. Messrs Gourlay and Meyers exhibited samples of staroh made from wheat, and stated that they were of opinion, judging from the large export of wheat for starchmaking and other purposes, that the industry would pay well. They might say also that they had been successful in producing dextrine or British gum. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Ulrioh for his paper, and it was resolvei to have it printed. A vote of thanks was also accorded to Messrs Gourlay and Meyers. Tho meeting then ooncluded.