The Auckland Tobacco Company's Factory. May 26.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 52, 31 May 1884, Page 3

The Auckland Tobacco Company's Factory. May 26.

Preparations have been actively proceeding during the last few weeks for the commencement of manufacturing operations by the Auokland Tobacco Company. All the necessary arrangements have now been made, appliances and material are in readiness for a start, and nothing is required beyond an adequate supply of skilled labour. Handsome new brick premises, two Btories in height, have been erected for the Company in Fort-street. These were designed specially for the purposes to which they are now about to be applied, and consequently they afford all the facilities necessary for the prosecution of a business such as that about to be entered upon. The building haB a frontage of 40 feet, by a depth of 56 feet. Included in the divisions of the ground floor are the stock and sample rooms and manufacturing room, while the first floor comprises store and sweating room, bond, packeting and cigar-makers' rooms. The machinery is on the ground floor, and is driven by a 2£ horse-power gas engine, while a small boiler used for steaming the leaf may be heated either by the ordinary furnace fire or by gas.

Our Reporter's Visit. One of our reporters visited the faotory . come days ago, and was courteously shown

through the various departments by Mr Austin Walsh, manager, and Mr llalph Michaels, foreman of the cigar department. In our notice of the New Zealand Company's factory on Saturday, we described the process of converting the raw material into cigars, and it is unnecessary to give further information under that head. Our attention was attracted by a large quantity of raw tobacco on the upper floor, and we were in- 1 formed that this comprised about a ton of East Coast tobacco, which had been grown some time ago, and which after being stored some considerable time, was sent to town, and a ton of last year's crop from Pahi. Wo were told that the East! Coast tobacco, which comes from Opotiki, ] was very good for cutting purposes, butj that it required a great deal more care than had been bestowed upon it. There were samples of leaf from other parts of the district in an adjoining room. Leaves from Waikato, we were told, were as good as had been produced in this part of the colony, while a sample from Epsom was described as a splendid texture leaf. Excellent samples of the new season's crop were also to hand from Pahi.

The Local Production. Although there has been a great deal of improvement in the quality of tobacco produced by the repeated experiments of growers, much requires to be done before an article that can successfully compete with the imported material will be produced. Mr Walsh,who had fourteen years' experience of the trade in his father's factory at Bradford, tells us that the curing of the leaf does not appear to be fully understood hero, and several seasons must nocessarily elapso beforo New Zoaland tobacco can dispense with the assistance of foreign growths. Improvement of quality means a large increase in price, and this should stimulate growers to exert themselves in the direction indicated. Authorities all agree that our climate is in every respect suitable for the growth of first-class tobacco, and that there is no reason why planters should not attain a standard of perfection in quality very near to that ruling in other countries. It is obvious that the Company would have a slender chance of success if they were to depend entirely upon the locally-produced article. The people of this colony are not more likely to patronise an inferior article than the inhabitants of other countries, and consequently

! Foreign Tobaooo Will be Used for the present in the manufacturing operation?. Consignments of prepared leaf are now on the way from Cuba, Sumatra, Brazil, and Virginia, and will be mixed with tho local article. The intention is to manufacture three qualities of cigars, one of which will be from Havanna leaf. Possessing first-class appliances and superior imported leaf, the Company can compete with foreign factories in the production of pure Havanna cigars. The import duty is 3s 6d per lb on the leaf, and 6s per lb on cigars, leaving a margin of 2s 6cl a lb to provide for expenses, profit, and reduction in price. The duty charged on New Zealand tobacco is Is per lb, and, by-the-way, the authorities are so careful that evasion of duty shall not happen, that the doors and windows of the factory are iron-barred, the rear offices are situated within the building, and other equally strict precautions are taken. The machine which the Company has imported is capable of cutting 2001bs of leaf per hour, or at the rate of something like 200 tons per annum. Of course, it is not expected that the consumption will amount to anything like this quantity, and until the trade is extended to Australia and other countries, the machine will only be worked several hours each day.

Cigarette and Plug Tobacoo Manufacture. It is gratifying to learn that the Company does not intend to confine its operations to the manufacture of cigars. A start has already been made in the important branch of cigarette manufacture. An experienced hand had been engaged prior to our visit, and he was busily engaged in his department. It is estimated that his output of cigarettes will amount to something like 1,000 per diem. The manufacture of plug tobacco will also be commenced shortly. An order has already been sent for the necessary machinery, and when this is to hand the operations of the factory will be further extended. All the boxes required for the cigars are manufactured on the premises from imported cedar. The manager en- 1 deavoured to open a new branch of industry by using locally grown cedar, but was un- ' able to obtain any.

Scarcity of Labour. The greatest difficulty which the management has had to contend against is the scarcity of skilled labour. Repeated advertisements have failed to produce any really good cigarmakers, but as soon as hands are engaged, work will be commenced in real eai-nest. The opening is a good one for men who have experience of the trade. It is estimated that a fair workman should manufacture from 200 to 250 cigars per day, and for theae the wages range from 2s 6d to 4s per hundred. Light employment for children is also provided in stripping, packing, labelling, and box-making departments, and the management is determined to give the preference to the families of its own employees, and gradually initiate them into all tlie mysteries of the trade. A certain amount of female labour will also be required, so that it may be seen that the industry is an important one.

The New Season Totoaoco Crop. Mr Louis Zumbuhl, manager of the Company's plantation at Pahi, arrived in town on the day of our visit with samples of the new season's crop. The leaves shown to us were of good quality, and were considered by an experienced gentleman to be equal in texture to that exhibited by Mr Mason at the last Show, and which took first prize. The area of land under cultivation is about nine acres, and the present crop is expected to produce between three and four tons. An ordinary estimate places the value of this at £300 to £400, and as the actual working exponses only amounted to £180, the profit is apparent. Each plant gives 0.2861b or 1,4301bs per acre of 5,000 plants. Ten plants of Virginia produce 31bs, equal to 1,5001bs to the acre. The present crop is considered to be thoroughly satisfactory. ____________