VISIT TO THE MOSGIEL WOOLLEN FACTORY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5449, 13 September 1878, Page 5

VISIT TO THE MOSGIEL WOOLLEN FACTORY.

(From the Otago Daily Times , 9th inst.)

The directors of the Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company having invited his Excellency and as many of the Northern visitors as could find it convenient to pay a visit of inspection to their works, a special train was placed at the disposal of the party, and on Saturday morning at 10 o’clock the train left Dunedin station. His Excellency wad unable to make the trip, owing to other engagements. There were about sixty gentlemen in the party, ineluding*the' Hon. Mathew Holmes, M.L.C., Messrs. Rolleston, O’Rorke, Sutton, Macfarlane, Hursthousc, Hobbs, Beatham, Russell, Reeves, Bryce,, Gibbs, Wood, and other M.H.R.’s, Captain Townsend and Dr. Cooper, of H.M.S Nymphe, Mr. Stowe (Clerk of Legislative Council), Mr. Lorke (of Napier), Hr. Dodson (Mayor of Nelson), a number of the Christchurch City Councillors, several gentlemen from that city, including Messrs. Macpherson and Anderson, and other visitors. Several Dunedin gentlemen wore also present, including three directors of the company— Messrs, J. Roberts (chairman), H. F. Hardy, and R. Gillies; and Mr. W. Conyers, Commissioner of Railways for the Middle Island, also made one of .the party. Mosgiel was reached about 11 o’clock, and the factory having been reached about an hour was spept in a tour of the different departments of the works. At the end of that time all wended their way into the new building recently erected by the company for the accommodation of the further machinery the extension-of trade has rendered necessary, in order that the supply of goods may be kept equal to the demand. Here one of the new looms obtained by the company from Home was ready for work, and a piece of tweed arranged for manufacture. ThoCHAiRMANOFDiBKOTORs(Mr. J. Roberts), addressing Mr. Rolleston, said be had been deputed to ask that gentleman to perform the ceremony of starting the first of the new looms, and of thus beginning the manufacture of tweed in the new building, Mr. Rolleston, stepping forward 'to the loom, said he had very great pleasure in complying with the request. The compliment of handling the first piece of cloth turned out in the shed the company had erected in extension of t-heii industry was one he highly appreciated, as having been connected so long with the interests of Canterbury, which were every day becoming more and more cemented with those of Otago, and of which—as indeed of those of the entire colony—the genuine industry they had that day examined with so much interest and delight was such an important part. (Hear, hear.) One of the by no means least advantages of the opening of railway communication now being celebrated was that Mosgiel tweeds would be carried more readily to the other parts of New Zealand, where those using them might be certain that the goods they received were in every way free from all shoddy and every other impurity. (Applause.) If he might be allowed to borrow a metaphor from what was going on before him, he would say in conclusion that he hoped heretofore that the interests of Canterbury and’Otago—and of the colony—would be as closely interwoven as the threads of the cloth ho had handled, and particularly that nothing might ever happen to lessen or interfere with the entente cordiah between the sister Provinces of Canterbury and Otago. He had to wish every success to the industry to be prosecuted in the ‘new sheds they now stood in. (Applause.) The company had provided refreshments of a suitable description, and the party made their way to the tables. Previous to attacking them, however, a bumper of champagne was filled, and Upon the invitation of Captain Townsend, R.N., the toast of “Success to the Mosgiel Factory” was drunk with cheers. Mr. J. Robeuts, in replying, said the present was not a fitting time to enter upon the history of the company. But he would only state'that at the beginning very great difficulties bad to be encountered, which he was happy to say had now been overcome, and the goods of the company found a ready sale. Indeed, the directors felt , confident that double the quantity now being turned out could be successfully got rid of, and it was with the view of effecting such a supply that the new premises and machinery had been erected. Iu the room they now were in sixteen new looms were erected, and during next week it was intended to shift the old looms into the same building. There would then be a total of thirty-four looms at work, and withiu three weeks, he was pleased to say, the company would be producing very close upon double the quantity of goods they had hitherto been enabled to do. (Applause.) Mr. R. Gillies, in very flattering terms, proposed “The Health of the Employes of the Factox-y,” and especially of Mr. Dryden, the overseer.

Mr. Duyden responded briefly. This concluded what may be termed the festive proceedings, and a return was made to the train, which reached Dunedin again shortly before two o’clock.

A number of the party then proceeded to the warehouse of the company in High-street, where the various productions of the factory in -their finished state were examined with interest.