"MADE IN NEW PLYMOUTH."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 169, 8 July 1908, Page 4

"MADE IN NEW PLYMOUTH."

A XKW INDUSTRY. The ready-made clothing imiiiufactiuer has beeoine a necessity. Hitherto his operations have been confined principally to the cities, and the large factories have niaile their various brands popular throughout Hie hud. Hue reason fur concentration in the eities was. of

course, that there was direct cominuni cation with the world's markets, ii

which uiiieli of the material, such as tweeds, cloths, 'linings,' buttons, etc., bad to be bought. Another factor--ami I a most important one—was that the] cities were usually converging points of the steamer, road, and rail routes I by which the products of Hie factories; must lie despatched to the consumer. There were other consideration*, of course. The city, with its dense population, provided buyers and wearers of the clothing apart altogether from tile export business. In the big centres, too. motive power could generally be obtained at. cheap rates, skilled labor was more likely to be plentiful, and lire various requirements of Ihe business could be conveniently supplied. Now. it struck one of our enterprising business nwn. Air. W. 11. Jtrnnnie. of "The Kash," in Devon street, '.hat New Plymouth had grown until it possessed many of these essentials. The port gave facility for landing imported materials and the woollens for which our New Zealand mills are famed. New Plymouth, too, is not only a good distributing centre for the whole of Taranaki, but is also in direct railway coin- . inunieation with the whole of the suuth-

ern portion of the Xorth Island. The population is a growing one, thotrgh scarcely large enough to depend upon for the success of a clothing factory. Hut this is more than counterbalanced

by the comparatively low rentals and the excellent anil cheap motive power available in the borough electrical sup-

ply—than which no bclUr could lie obtained for the driving of clothing manufacturers' machinery. Hence it. cairn' aliout that Air. Broome a'Jew monllis ago had the first floor of his premises remodelled, converting it into an up-to-date clothing factory. Everything is right up to the most modern standard. The proprietor, having had a lung practical experience, has personally attended to tlic lifting ii)i of the factory, mid personally supervises the work of turning out his '•Prestwell" garmentsmen's suits and overcoats.

A "News" reporter the other day spent, some little time in the factory, watching the methods adopted in the production of suits for the million. It was. of course, quite expected that the work could not he done at the price by the old hand methods, but the visitor was hardly prepared for the rapid transition of a piece of tweed from its place in the roll to the box, all ready for the wearer. The first operation is the eutting of the suit. This is .Mr. Broome's own department, and he explained the process and the system adopted by him, especially pointing out one subtle technical nyint which, he claimed, gave, his suits a. line disfinctivo, loueli. A staircase led to the upper Moor, from which came the buzz nf (lie motor and the whirr of the sewing machines. The factory itself is well-lighted and wellventilated, according to our present protective standard—protective of the health of the employees. The cut-out material is passed along to the machinists.' There are six sewing machines in all, and they are driven by electricity. Instead of pedalling away, the operator merely inclines the treadle, and this connects the power, and away goes the machine, sewing at terrific speed. The machines are arranged hi a double bench, three on cither side, with an intervening "well," or receptacle for the finished work. This, as well a, the benches, is of line policed wood. One of the machines is capable of sewing six rows of s!itches at once, which is invaln-. able in quill in..' for lhe shoulders of coat-, etc. Another little machine that is a marvel in its wa'v is the button-', holing machine. To make the buttonhole is the work of an instant, a small punch cutting it out as clean as could be wished for. Then, passing it into the sewing machine the recognised "button-hole stitch" appears around that hide in about half a minute. In I the bespoke' tailoring department—- . which, of course, is kept entirely separI ate from the manufactury—a good tailor is allowed about an hour to make the 1 four biuton-hiiles on a coat. Here the . work- can be done in less than live minutes. Everything seems on the rapid scale, as i pared with the ordinary tailoring. The, sewing-machines do not, feed from the ordinary little reels ,-t' cotton used' in lhe household, twit from great spools, each holding 10,(100 yards, or enough lo cover half the. distance between Xew Plymouth and W'aitttra. When the machinists have finished wit It the garment, it is handed over to be "linished," this work including tin? putting on of buttons, and so on. Then it is sent to the "presscrs." In this part of the work most modern pressing irons are used. They are Jilted inside with small burners, and are fed by the admixture of gas and air, eight parts of air and one of giis. forming an economical and intense heating fuel. The air is forced through the lubes In- a pump connected with the 1'/ 2 -h.p. electric motor which supplies the requisite power for the factory. In the summer mouths this will be charged with the duty of working a fan for the cooling of'l.. workrooms. The presscrs having given the clothing its final touches, it is "boxed" ready for export. The factory has •had a good run of orders right from the start, and its connection is spreading. At present an order from Hastings is receiving attention. This winter the (inn's overcoats have been well sought after, and the general prospects have warranted the proprietor is sending Home for a big order of suitings, etc.

The introduction of this industry has had the effect not only of giving omnloyment to about a score of hands, but it has given a certain amount of encouragement to other industries. For inslancc, the litting-up of ilie factory engaged the attention ami time of joiri■ers and cabinet makers, and the linn of Nixon and Nixon 'tilted up the electric motor and air-pump. The firm requires additional printing, and boxes for the suits. Arrangements are being made for thi' box-making to be done locally.