INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2148, 13 January 1881, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the committee of the above was held at 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Present: Messrs R Allan (president), Hull, Moor, Wood, Waller, A. R. Kirk, King, J. P. Jameson, Professor Biokerton.

The President said that np to the present no offers of competition for the prize given by the Association for jams and preserves had been received. Mr Mitchell had kindly placed a number of views of the Melbourne Exhibition at the disposal of the committee, which were now on the table and would remain. there for public inspection. The shelves had been placed in the room and a number of photographs hung, Mr Waller suggested that there should be members’ tickets issued to ths committee, who could dispose of them to intending members. The President brought under the notice of the committee the provisions of the Special Partnership Act, which he thought was a most valuable Act, enabling partnerships to he formed in which the special partners wore exempt from any responsibility, except to the extent of their contribution, the general partners to conduct the business. If the special partner interfered with the conduct of the business, then he became a general partner and liable as now. The Act, be thought, was not generally known, or if it was advantage had not been taken of it. On the suggestion of Mr King, The President stated that now the shelves for the reception of models specimens, &e., were ready, the Association would be glad to receive any such for public exhibition. He trusted the members would try and make the room as attractive as possible. Mr Jenkins said that Messrs Montgomery had kindly furnished the timber for the shelves, and the turnery, mouldings, &e., had been furnished by himself. The only charge to the Association was the labor. The President said he thought the hearty thanks of the Association were due to Messrs Montgomery and 00. and Mr F. Jenkins for their handsome contribution in the matter ot shelving. Mr J. P. Jameson moved—“ That the best thanks of the Association be tendered to Messrs Montgomery and 00. and Mr F. Jenkins for their handsome donations.”

Mr King seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Professor Bickerton moved—“ That Messrs Hull, Oherrill, and the mover, be appointed as a committee to draft a general scheme for the establishment of a science and art department, to be submitted to the general committee for consideration and adoption by the legislature, as applying to the whole colony.” Mr King would second this with pleasure, and trusted so good a work would be carried out in connection with their society. The motion was then put and carried. The President brought under the notice of the committee the proposed visit of the Hon, Mr Dick to Sydney to take part in the intercolonial conference, and asked it any subject occurred to any of the members that they would mention it, so as to bring it under the notice of the Government. This closed the business of the committee. The general meeting was then held, there being present in addition to the members of committee as above, Messrs Monldey, Seager, Banks, C. Kiver, Scott, and others. The President said no information had been received from Geelong as to the experiment with flax fibre for paper making. Mr Mitchell, while in Melbourne, had called at Ramsden’s paper mills, and from what he learned there, he thought there could be little doubt as to the success of the experiment with New Zealand fibre. Mr J. P. Jameson asked if there was not a sample of paper made from Queensland fibre in the room ?

The President replied in the affirmative, and the sample was produced. Mr George Gray, of Canterbury College, then read his second paper on cement making. He first dealt with the wet system as carried out in the cement manufactories of England, and described the method of manufacture. The objections to the wet system were next considered. Passing on, Mr Gray referred to the semi-wet systems used in England and in Germany, and the dry system, speaking in terms of commendation of the latter as being the best, alike in the production of a better article and at a cheaper rate. Johnston’s chamber kiln was next described, and the quick forming of the cement prior to put into tho kiln spoken of with approval. Hoffman’s ring kiln, and Brock’s kiln, were next described, and then Mr Gray proceeded to give an account of the drying process as carried on in the beat German manufactories, and a description of tho qualities necessary for good cement. These were stated as being fineness, weight, setting, and tensile strength. Mr Gray concluded a very interesting paper by giving a description of tho tests used by the London Board of Works and tha German authorities. In reply to the president,

Mr Gray eaid he had not seen any analysis of the mud from Lyttelton harbor, and therefore had not been able to compare it with the Medway clay. The fineness of the mesh of the sieve in the German tests was such that it had 5000 meshes to the inch. He had been very careful to look out this in the documents. In reply to Mr Jameson, Mr Gray said it was necessary to pass all the cement through sieves, or else the lumps would only act as so much sand. He was of opinion that the German dry system was by far the best, as affording uniformity of parts of materials.

Professor Biokerton, in the course of some remarks as to tho difficulty of introducing improved systems into England said that it was due to the fact that the English people wore rather more classically than practically educated, being taught as it were to worship the heathen gods of Greece and Rome rather than having their minds opened to what were in reality the great interests of the country. This he thought would be obviated here by the establishment of a science and art department. He desired to move a very cardial vote of thanks to Mr Gray for his very able, paper. Personally, he (Professor Biokerton) had learnt a great deal from the paper as regarded the late processes in cement manufacture. Mr Jameson seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation. Professor Biokerton said he might mention that in the Malvern Hills there were cloys exactly suited alike for the dry and wet process.

Mr Gray mentioned that an analysis of the Malvern clays made by him showed exactly the same constituents as an ideal clay spoken of by a high German authority as the best to be obtained.

In response to Mr Jameson, Mr Gray said that the wet process could be carried out under far more favorable conditions than in England. Professor Biokerton said that they had a splendid sample of chalk, and the clay of tho Malvern Hills’was, as Mr Gray said, equal to one spoken of as the best by a high German authority. The only thing they would require would be to import coals, say from the West Coast. Except this they had all the materials for the manufacture of cement. The meeting then adjourned.