Messrs R. Bell & Co.’s Match Factory.

Manawatu Herald, 16 June 1903, Page 2

Messrs R. Bell & Co.’s Match Factory.

The members of the Visiting Committee elected at the monthly meeting on the 12th May were Messrs J. P. Luke, J. Godber, and C. H. Williams. On the Bth June a visit was paid to the match factory of Messrs R. Bell & Co. (Ltd.), Newtown. Yourcommittee was courteously received at the factory by Mr M’Lay, manager, who informed us that Messrs R. Bell and Co., (Ltd.) established their business in the year 1832, and that the firm was the oldest wax vesta company jm the world. The factory is situated near the Hospital at Newtown. We first entered the office of the manager, which we found well furnished and everything at hand to enable him to carry oat his duties. We were then conducted by Mr M!Lay over the factory. Our inspection commenced in the department where the useful and very necessary article, the wax vesta, received its earliest form. In this room, 60ft x 100 ft; we found men, boys, women, and girls actively engaged in converting cotton and wax into tapers. “ Making tapers,” was Mr M’Lay’s remark as we stood to inspect seven huge revolving reels, around which, having a span of many feet, were rolls of 68 cottons, each roll containing 2500 yards, which are run six times through a bath of wax. Thus the first part of the article is manufactured. These tapers are then put through cutting-machines by girls, and after each cut a frame is removed containing four thousand tapers cut to match size. Leaving this department, wc were taken across to some outbuildings where the vestas in the frames were being dipped in a composition of phosphorus. After being thus dealt with the frames are placed in drying-bins, like cupboards with shelves fitted in. They are left here for from eight to nine hours to dry. This room is heated by a coal fire. There ara five drying-rooms, each having eighteen cupboards, and each cupboard containing sixteen frames of four thousand matches each. At the far end of the yard we had our attention drawn to a large diningroom where the women folk have their dinner. Attached to this room is a convenient lavatory. We next ascended some steps to a kind of shed, where we saw the composition being made for the match-head. This biue substance was being thoroughly churned up by a machine, and was allowed to run off into a tub. “ Have you ever had the head of a match fly off and hit you in the eye ?” asked' Mr M’Lay. We sorrowfully replied, “ Yes.” Well, the reason for that, we were told, was on account of the comoosition hot having been sufficiently churned. On a platform outside were to be eeeo icon deems full of water,

and containing lumps of phosphorus. The phosphorus in this form resembled lumps of kauri gum. It was explained to us that if kept dry the phosphorus would “fire." From thence we descended to the boxing department. Here we found women and girls with frames of vestas in front Of them. With wonderful dexterity they would snatch up a row of the finished matches and place them in the small round cardboaid boxes. One second, was the time it took one girl to take £ row of matches and fill a box . : whd them. We were intormed that a quick girl could put up twenty-four gross in a day. The payment received is threepence per gross. In another part of this room {3oft x 100 ft) girls were also filling tin boxes. Six gross a day of these can be put up. These boxes, of course, contain many more matches than the round cardboard boxes, and they contain two rows, consequently they require handling twice. Packets of a dozen boxes of , matches are parcelled here. The cardboard boxes are manufactured on the premises; the tin box was formerly made here also, but its manufacture bad to be discontinued as labour could not be obtained. Messrs Bell and Co. employ one hundred: and twenty hands, and forty more girls are at the present time required by the firm. We saw pieces of cardboard being glued and rolled into tubss sixteen inches long. These tubes are afterwards put through a machine which cuts them up into the ordinary slie of matchbox/ One tube is covered with white paper (this for the inside of the box), whilst another is covered with the weibknown plaid pattern paper for the outside. Sheets of sandpaper for striking the match on are also made. The sheets of sandpaper are placed under a punchingmachine, which turns out the round end which forms the bottom of the box. Messrs Bel! and Co. (Ltd.) have on hand twenty-five tons of paper and strawboard which is daily sjbeing used for manufacture of boxes. The machinery is driven by a i6-horse power engine made by Messrs Crabtree. There are three otbei; engines of English manufacture. Our inspection was now over; and in thanking Mr M'Lay for bis kind attention we assured him of the pleasure we had derived from our visit, which had. proved decidedly both interesting and instructive.—Post.