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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4429, 31 May 1875, Page 2

In out advertising columns there recently appeared for some time the prospectus of the New Zealand Royal Pottery Company. This represents an undertaking of colonial importance, one, too, which is noticeable as having had its origin in the steady industry and perseverance of an individual, rather than in that speculative disposition of a community which has been too often taken advantage of to make “ a local industry,” the mere means to an end, the vehicle for the commencement of some enterprise which it is not expected will last beyond its initiatory stage, but will' even thus afford time for those who work the wires to reap an advantage. The locality in which the Royal Pottery Works are situated is singularly advantageous for the establishment of large industrial pursuits. It impinges upon afield of very excellent brown coal, quite adapted, under proper conditions, for manufacturing purposes, and it possesses a practically inexhaustible supply of the clay used in making the better classes of bricks and drain pipes. A Mr. White of this district, Tokomairiro, had been for some time engaged in the manufacture of the articles above mentioned, with such success that in the matter of salt glazed drain pipes he drove the hitherto imported articles clean out of the field, and was obliged to stretch his producing powers to the utmost to meet the demand which arose in Dunedin and Otago, About a year ago he began to turn his attention to the manufacture of pottery ware for domestic purposes, a seam of clay having been hit upon alongside the Clutha Railway line, a few miles from his works. Experiment proved that this clay was, without any extraneous admixture, capable of being converted into all the coarser articles of crockery known as brown ware, and Mr. White, having sent home to Staffordshire, obtained the services of a number of skilled workmen and workwomen, and commenced turning out the various articles most in demand. It is unnecessary to say that all this involved the investment of no small quantity of capital, and the result is that the little town of Milton, where the works are situated, has been largely added to by the erection of a capacious and substantial manufactory, built strongly of brick, and by the erection of groat kilns and ohimnies, that form a prominent feature on the wide plain on which the town is situated. It soon became evident that in order to cope with the wants of the colony it would be necessary to turn out the finer classes of ware, and to do this it became requisite to obtain, for admixture with the clay already mentioned, feldspar and flint. The former of these minerals exists in large quantities at Stewart’s Island, and already a good deal has been obtained from there. Elint, admirably suited for pottery purposes, is found in the neighborhood of the Amuri Bluff, in the province of Canterbury, with which there is regular communication by means of small trading vessels via Lyttelton, and arrangements have therefore been completed for procuring what is required from thence. It will be seen by this brief statement of facts that the operations of the Royal Pottery Company absolutely directly tend to the development of very wide-spread mineral resources, whilst at the same time they purpose, in the legitimate course of trade, to foster native industry to a very great extent. The prospectus of the company states that the present is a most favorable time for talcing into the hands of a large proprietary what has hitherto been carried on by a single person ; and this would seem to be the case, since we learn that in the immediate district wherein the works are situated, nearly half the total number of shares have been already applied for. Mr. White, the present proprietor, purposes retaining a large interest in the enterprise ; and the services of his manager, an experienced Staffordshire manufacturer, have been retained. The prospectus of the company gives more detailed statements as to the financial basis of the company ; and copies can now be procured from Messrs. -Stevenson and Stuart, the Wellington agents. Into the company’s financial affairs, and into many matters of detail, it is not within our province to enter. We regard the enterprise, as we have said, per sc, as one of national importance, and we believe that the brief history of the pottery works, and of what they have already done, that we have laid. before our readers, will induce them to coincide with us.

The ratepayers of Thorndon Ward can scarcely be congratulated on the result of their efforts to secure the return, unopposed, of an eligible Councillor. Under the chairmanship of Councilor Gillon, they have met a couple of times I and made what may be termed “ a muddle” of it. On the first occasion, it was pretty unanimously agreed that if Mr. 0. P. Worth would but stand he should be the choice of all concerned. On the authority of some ono or another, the meeting concluded that Mr. Worth either could not or would not stand, and so a deputation was appointed to wait on Mr. Collins. That gentleman refused, and then a deputation waited upon the Hon, C. J. Pharazyn, and asked him to come forward. To this Mr. Pharazyn consented, and so the deputation informed an adjourned meeting. But the chairman, with exemplary zeal, had also formed himself into a deputation of one and obtained the consent of Mr. Buckley to bo put forward. Accordingly, the adjourned meeting had to decide which of these two gentlemen it would ask to retire. By a vote of II to 7, the meeting settled that Mr. Pharazyn .should give way; but that gentleman, unappalled, apparently, by the decision of the eighteen ratepayers, whoso wisdom had been controlled by Mr. Gillon, declined, having come forward, to give up the contest. Without pronouncing an opinion as to the relative merits of Mr. Pharazyn and Mr. Buckley, the last of whom would make a most excellent member of the Town Council, we x-eally cannot see how Mr. Pharazyn can bo blamed for his decision in

this affair. But the cream of this little bit of' blundering has to come. We are informed that Mr. Worth, about the merits of whose candidature there seemed to be little dissension, was from the first quite willing to enter the City Council, and that the statement as to his inability to do so was not founded upon facts. Not only that, but Mr. Worth very naturally now expresses his intention to do his best to get the vacant chair at the Council table. Thus, as is mostly the case, the interference of affe r , who would fain dictate to the many, has produced exactly opposite results' to those intended. Instead of a peaceful programme there will now be a triangular duel For this happy end we fancy the chairman and his meeting of eighteen deserve such credit as any one may choose to accord them.