Peter Hutson & Co. POTTERY MANUFACTURERS, WELLINGTON.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 77, 21 December 1901, Page 36 (Supplement)

Peter Hut son & Co. POTTERY MANUFACTURERS, WELLINGTON.

ONE of Wellington's busiest hives of industry may be found in Wal-lace-street. The pottery, pipe, ind briok manufactory of Messrs Peter Hutson and Co., is known of in # general way by the people, but few know to what an extent the industry has thriven under the acute business administration of the proprietors. From comparatively small beginnings, the business has assumed very large proportions. To-day very extensive premises occupy the site in Wallace-street, and the business is earned on with much thoroughness and tact. Their goods have earned such a high reputation that the works have to be run night and day to supply orders. « * • Wanganui and Hawera are both sup plied with Hutson's pipes. The firm's exhibits at Wanganui and Hawera Shows were sold out on the first days, and they hare since been trying to fill the orders consequent on the increase of business A very special line Mr. Hutson makes, and is proud of, is an earthenware lavatory basin, for ship-board and shore lavatories. It is made to avoid the splashing that occurs with most other basins. No other colonial manufacturer has tried has hand at this line before. It is- a better article than the imported kind and is supplied at a lower rate. Already the works have mativ orders for these basins and those in use are giving great satisfaction. So large is the present demand for the locally-made pottery, that the firm are unable to keep largie stocks on hand The whole plant, extensive as it is, is kept going at high pressure to supplv orders already in hand. This will probably entail stiJJ greater extensions. Anyone visiting these works a few years sanee>, and repeating his visit to-day, would be as surprised as was our representative on his latest visit. He was struck with the remarkable order that has been evolved out of chaos, the general cleanliness, that is the more striking on account of the nature of the operations, and the satisfaction apparent on the faces of employer and employed. • » • The special hardening process here employed is an invention and secret of the proprietors, minimising the usual brittleness of Dottery, and, of course, adding to the "life" of the article. Glaz-

ing is a matter that special attention ]s given to, and the high finish, apparent m the several manufactures shows the excellence of the process. Any person interested in a colonial industry that is destined to become one of New Zealand's big things," should take a trip to Wallace-stieet to see for himself what is being done to increase the qualltv and output of the locally-made manufactures It is unnecessary to add that on examination, local people will use local waie, for, apart from the duty to patronise local industry, the patronage that assures getting a better article than u^ual at a less puce is no rerv great sacrifice. ♦ V • Every kind of "crock" that a house-

wife requires is turned out by the gross at these works. Much oare is given to the designs, and the result is that, for beauty and perfection of shape, the Wellington-made .article has the advantage over airy hitherto sold here. In prict, too, the advantage is with thr> colonial article. Quaint shades and colours in pottery is a pleasing feature. Wine jars, demijohns, and umbrellastands, bread crocks, filters and jugs, earthenware barrels, tiles and traps, chimney pots and ginger beer bottles, are made in great profusion. • « • The work, steadily increasing, gives employment to large numbers of hands The people of Wellington already know

something of the quality of Hutson and Co. 's drainage pipes. There are a hundred miles of them in this city alone. Of their domestic and sanitary ware they are destined to hear a great deal in the near future. It is steadily but surely ousting the imported article out of the market. This advanced industry is not only a valuable property to the owners, but it certainly is a gain to the dolony at large. A visit to the works well repays one. When the advantages of the colonial article over the imported one are known, the business, already of large proportions, must necessarily increase, until there is no need to import any of the articles now so successfully turned out by the enterprising oompany.