NEW INDUSTRIES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5638, 25 April 1879, Page 3

NEW INDUSTRIES.

There has been a great deal to say in reference to the very serious decline in the price of wool in the Home market, and the fall has most specially affected the colony generally.* But the disaster, if we may so term it, should suggest greater self-reliance on the part of the colonists, and a naturally easy escape from losses of the kind in future; As our readers are already aware, Mosgiel in Otago has already earned a high reputation forits woollen manufactures, and we are glad to find Canterbury following in such worthy footsteps. At Kaiapoi a manufactory has been recently opened, full particulars of which are published in the Christchurch Press of the 26th ultimo, and from which we freely extract. The report commences by saying that the opening of the works was a red-letter day in the history of that portion of the province, and we cordially agree with the writer. After some other remarks on the rise and progress of the factory the Press proceeds to give some particulars as to the establishment, which will be interesting to a large number of our readers, and even, if somewhat long, will show how manufactures are gaining a stand-point in New Zealand. It is not the first start, but it is the successful one, and the goods to be turned out will fairly compete with the best from the looms of England. The following particulars are given by the above authority;— A fair start in the woollen venture was made by the company in 1875. So well did the undertaking promise that it was soon determined to double the plant; and further, the bonus of £2OOO, given by the Provincial Government for the promotion of woollen manufactures, was obtained. About nine calls were made on the shareholders, and the directors finding it impossible to obtain further advances sufficient to meet their plans, an appeal was made to the members to consent to an increase of the capital, as well as to the removal of the factory to another site near the Heathcote, on the line of the Lyttelton and Christchurch railway. As this was, however, opposed, the outcome.of the difference of opinion resulted in a determination to sell the whole concern, together with the additional plant ordered from England. At the auction sale in July, 1877, the Hon. J. T. Peacock purchased the whole for £7OOO. In the following July the present company had purchased his interest, and was registered with a capital of £15,000, in fifteen shares of £IOOO, and the existing proprietors are Messrs. Isaac Wilson (chairman of directors), G. H. Blackwell and E. Parnham (directors), G. Coup, B. Coup, E. Muloock, T. Pashby, W. Sansom, J. T. Peacock, J. H. Evans, James Wood, J. W. Ellen, J. Ballantyne, and R. Moore. The amount of capital paid up is £12,000. Examining carefully the first financial statement of the company, it shows an apparent profit of £7OO on the operations up to January last. The premium set by the shareholders on the shares is about £l5O on the amount already paid. Coming immediately to the scene of operations, it may be stated that the land now occupied is five acres, within five minutes’ walk out of the borough, and the visitors by train to Kaiapoi had no difficulty in finding their way thither by proceeding across the Swing bridge, and along Oharles-street, following the old North-road towards the Maori pa. The section is well grassed, and is being rapidly surrounded with trees and plantations, which add beauty, as well as effectually prevent annoyance from loose sand during high winds. The erections on this land include the central main building, 112 ft. x 108 ft., a portion of which has a second storey. Externally, the first portion is covered with weather boarding and shingle, while the new addition is covered with corrugated iron over both sides and roof. The former is all ground floor ; the latter, as stated before, has an upper storeyto which reference will be made. Both are lighted by a large number of windows, of which there are no less than about forty in the main portion. There is an engine-house, warehouse, sulphur-house, and weighbridge office, a woolshed, 205 ft. x 18ft., and overseer’s cottage and garden. The former millroom was 107 ft. x 56£t., hitherto used for all the engines and looms, but now only adapted for warping, beaming, weaving, milling, and cutting, the several machines so engaged being placed therein. On the lower floor, 108 ft. x 56ft., of the new part stands the teasers, carding, and condensing engines. On the upper floor, with the same area of space the self-acting mules and lighter machines. Close to the work is placed the main spring of motive power. The fly-wheel weighs about two tons, and is 7ft. in diameter. Inside the factory the shafting is driven from a vertical shaft, which is geared from the fly wheel by two bevel wheels one with iron teeth, the other with wood cogs. This vertical shaft is Sin. in diameter, and works in brass with steel ends. Both ends of it correspond, and this transmits the motion to the shafting through the length and dreadth of the building. The main shaft in the carding room is 4in. in diameter for a length of 30ft., and then reduced to Sin. In this room the shaft working the pully and gearing of the engines is 110ft.,therebeinga similar length in the upper storey. The whole of the main shaft performs 120 evolutions per minute. It is borne by stout brackets bolted to large baulks in the ceilings, and works so easily that there is hardly any vibration. In the next room the looms, warp mill, and washing machine are drawn by the smaller-sized shafts in two lengths of 134 ft. and 108 ft. The pulleys are oiled by means of the needle self-lubricators. In every respect the greatest care has been exercised in placing the power so as to be available to the utmost extent, and_ the management of it under the supervision of the

company’s engineer, Mr. W. Broadiey, reflects very great credit on his skill and knowledge of machinery in general. Having examined the motive power question, a return will now be made to that of the process of the manufacture of woollen goods. In the first place delivery of the wool from auction sales, stations, or farms is taken at the long-wool shed, where it is passed and accepted. Bales are then unpacked and sorted with care_ by expert sorters, who pick out the various “ scrle” on the tables before them from each fleece, and place the same into convenient bins for special purposes. Four “ sorts” are usually made, and a fifth (if it may be included) of the “moiety,” or sticks, rubbish, and the pieces of fleece which bear tar brands. The sorts made are Nos, 1 and 2 for blanketing, and Nos. 1 and 2 flanneling. Merino wool is chiefly used in the manufacture of tweeds, cricketing flannel, and fine flannel- Crossbred wool is employed in the making of blankets and coarse fabrics. Two qualities of blankets are regularly sold, and five different makes of flannel, for each of which the fleeces have to be selected into “sorts,” either on account of fineness, or because of a preference for coarseness. Although there is plenty of wool procurable for the making of strictly worsted goods, which it is intended at a future time to include in the lines manufactured, this is only at present employed in worsted yarns. Blankets are made from the longer cross-bred wool, but it is not as a rule that length of staple is acceptable, as the manager does not always care to see very long hoggett wool, seeing it is more troublesome to deal with than any other kind. In this shed there was a large stock of all kinds of wool, including some from “ Ba, ba, black sheep,” and a quantity of fine merino, dyed to be used in tweed-making. Of course the black wool, of whiah over 10001 b. has been used up, and of which there is a fair supply, is not artificially treated, because this naturally-colored production, it may be safely asserted, is a fast, unfading color when imported into the fabrics to be noticed by and by. From this shed the wool is taken to be washed, which duty devolves upon lads with barrows, but it returns again to be picked, that is, the motes and sticks taken out, for if left in it such materials as the latter injure the cards on the machines, to be referred to further on. In course of time the refuse picked out may be chemically dealt with to destroy the oticks and dirt, so that present waste may be used up, but the tar seems to resist all attempts to take it from the wool, and branded wool is at present valueless. It is to be hoped, the manager thinks, that those who brand sheep will take a note of these lines, and adopt some other plan of marking sheep for identification, without going to the expense of destroying large patches of wool on valuable fleeces with tar branding. The plain looms are from Leach’s, of Eochdale. The plain looms are applied to the making of blankets, flannels, and ordinary tweeds, while the patent box looms can be applied to any kind of work, and are admirably suited for plaiding, of which material a large quantity is purchased for gent’s underclothing. All the goods, after they leave the looms, have to be finished, which includes washing, milling, drying, raising, or cutting. An apartment has been made off the weaving room, in which, on a concrete floor, stand all the wet machines. The first of these is the washer, which comprises a large box resembling a combine, with two large rollers, over and between which the webs of flannel joined to form an endless piece are passed, being drawn from and returning to the soap and water at the bottom. The rollers move at a quick speed, and perform their duty without injury to the goods, which are cleaned to a marked degree. On removal from the washer the blankets and tweeds are milled or felted in another similar machine to the washer. The webs are put into soap and passed over rollers heated by friction to cause the fabrics to shrink and become firm. As they are quite enclosed during this operation, it would be impossible to see if anything went wrong in the passage of the webs over the rollers. To obviate any accident, a patented invention has been resorted to. The cloth passes through two holes in its progress, and, in case of a sudden stoppage, it catches the lower one, which lifts a slide, and, acting upon a lever, at once disconnects the driving belt from the pulley, when the milling machine remains stationary till it can be attended to. This simple method was patented by a youth named Brrmley, son of a manufacturer, who enjoys a large royalty from several leading manufactories for his patent. It ought to have been stated that the blankets are made' in webs of ten, and are, after the drying process, separated into pairs. The colored headings of the blankets, about which some were curious, is simply made by the introduction of a given number of colored weft threads when in the loom, in the course of weaving. From washer and milling machines the webs are put through a pair of double narrow brass rollers as a wringer to expedite drying. This form of wringer is preferred to the use of the hydroextractor. The webs are subsequently taken outside and stretched on frames filled with tenter hooks. The frames are 14ft. in height, and in four lengths of 52ft. each length. From the drying frames the webs return to the raising department. The raising gig is a cylinder 14ft. in width and of a diameter of sft. In front of this the web is passed by rollers and is lightly brushed by the face of the cylinder. The latter is an iron frame into which are inserted teasles, a vegetable product resembling thistle burrs, but armed with larger spines. The action of this cylinder is to raise the nap or flossy covering which renders a blanket soft and cosy. After this the ends of the blankets are bound with scarlet worsted.

In the store-room the tweeds are looked over, and “swats,” or spots of raised threads, are deftly picked off them by women with tweezers. This is termed “hurling,” being done for the purpose of assisting the progress of the cloth through the cutting machine, for it the swats were left a hole probably would be cut in the cloth on account of the close cutting of the knife. The cutting machine is simply a roller over which works an Archimedian knife with four blades. It is set close to the cloth, and in the passage of the latter between the roller and the knife the “ nap ” is cut short and to an equal length. In the finishing room the goods are folded, pressed in a screw press, folded in papers, marked, ticketed, and otherwise rendered attractive for gale. The company refuse to deal with any but merchants, and great was the disappointment to many who were so much taken up with the samples shown on Tuesday that they would have bought out twice the stock of blankets, in anticipation of a cold winter. The company, it may be noted, has just finished a considerable order for the gaol and hospital.

A system of management has been introduced which so far as proved satisfactory to employer and employed in the payment for the work done. As much work as can be so let is given out by the piece. When in full work twenty weavers will be engaged, or a total of between sixty and seventy men, women, boys, and girls. The men and weavers get paid by the “ cut,” which work is equal to making ten pairs of blankets. A “ cut” is made in a little over two days. Women’s wages range from 295. to 265. per week ; girls begin at 10s., and go up to 155,; boys are not so valuable as girls, and there is less trouble in getting them, their wages range at about 12s. a week. The girls, as a rule, are more dexterous with their fingers, which is a matter of great importance in work such as pieceing. Men who used to earn 50s. a week make a larger sum on piece-work, and longer days, often seven days a week. Sabbatarians need not stand aghast at th is stutement, as the Sabbath is very strictly observed, but the seven days mean seven working days. The comfort of the employes is carefully looked after in respect to well ventilated rooms, and in winter warmth is imparted by hot water pipes laid along the floors. So well also have the machines been looked after, and anything like skylarking put down, that not a single machinery accident has happened during the time the present manager has been in charge. . . , , A number of. improvements are intended, amongst others will be the erection of a large warehouse. . The above is a very condensed synopsis of the Press report, but it will convey enough to show that a new and flourishing industry has been recently established, and we need hardly say that we wish it all success. It is to be hoped that many other manufactories of a like kind will follow suit, and that wool, instead of going Home, will shortly be converted in the colony to the uses for which it is specially designed.