THE KAOLIN DEPOSITS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 19 July 1907, Page 2

THE KAOLIN DEPOSITS.

ONLY ONE TEST:. THE KILN. Mr Thomas Foster, a partner and director in the lirm of, Messrs T. and K. lioote, the manufacturers, of Lurslem, Staffordshire, was on a visit to New Plymouth on Wednesday, and, having read of the reported hud of kaolins, or china clay here, made it his business to learn something of the matter, recognising tliat such a discovery might mean the foundation of a big industry. During the morning he visited the Smart road farm on which the clay has been unearthed, Air S. Hill acting as cicerone. In a chat with a "News" reporter, Mr Foster said that he was well satisfied with the clay in its natural state. There was evidently an immense quantity of it, and it was in a handy position for working. This sort of clay, he said, had been found in very few places, such as Cornwall, France, and in Wales, and was imported by the thousands of tons per week to the pottery fields in Staffordshire, and in other counties. One thing that struck Mm was the occurence of blocks of stone throughout the clay deposit; In fact, the whole of the I formation surrounding the stuff Was most favorable. It was impossible, however, to promise any great developments until the clay had been moulded into articles and burned in the kilns. There was no other test. He would be glad to have some of It treated at the firm's works, made, up into different things, and tcsTed in the fire. AVltether or not it would burn as line china remained to he proved. Of course, it might l)c necessary to mix (lie clay with other materials in order to get the best results, lmt we could depend on it that the test would be an exhaustive one.

Asked as to tlio possibility of starting potteries locally, Mr Foster was not over-sanguine. It would mean considerable expense, if only in the importation of skilled labor. Nearly twenty men would have to be brought from tiie pottery fields liefore any start could lie made. Then there was the labor dilliculty. Despite the -heavy freight and heavy duty he did not think that the colonial article, manufactured under our labor conditions, would be able to fight the products of the countries where labor was so very cheap. He would advise n start by exporting the dry clay 'o England, where they could take ununited quantities. Of course, it could not be sent away in its natural state. !l would need to be washed, and that '■vouid mean quite an Industry in itself. Tit answer to a query as to his experience, Mr Foster smilingly stated that lie had been at the business all Ins life having started work as a boy for the firm -in which he is now a partner. Up til! recent years the firm hud included -rockery in its manufactures, and supplied enormous quantities to the American market, but this trade was stopped by the imposition by America of an im"ort duty of somewhere about 40 per cent. '