MADE IN NEW PLYMOUTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 261, 28 October 1908, Page 4

MADE IN NEW PLYMOUTH.

I'LUJIISKIiS' AM) KhKCTIiIUIANS' PKliiiiSiiS. Xot so very long ago any num who could use a soldering iron and a ]iaii" of snips was looked it pun as u plumbe". Now plumbing is among thu trades or professions requiring a good deal _o£ leelmieal knowledge and mechanical skill. There is sueli a thing as " the science of plumbing," or the " theory ' of il, and examinations are held in both theory and practice to determine tin) iitnes's of tradesmen to work upon the special class of work ijL connection with the latter-day sanitary plumbing. Similarlvj tlie niunentrusted with the wiring of premises for the installation of el- 1 -- trie light and power are expected Lo know a little more than the mere mechanical work of iixing the wires air.l hanging the Jit tings. There are such things as insurance regulations, and the work has to pass the underwriters' test. The comparatively recent introduction of up-to-date drainnge and electrical supple ■systems by the municipality lias had- tils Vtl'ect of providing plentiful employment for expert plumbers and el;etricians. Fortunately for us, the Tar'nuki Education Hoard some years ag3 recognised the need for instruction i'l sanitary plumbing, and instituted toehi nil-a I classes, which were held for some ■ time in Messrs. Smart Bros.''workshops. Some of the other tradesmen combine'.! and engaged an instructor from Wanganui, so that practically all the plumb- ' ers in town were provided with technic,il 1 education in thoir own particular cabling. The employers profited as well as . tlie employees, for they were able to keep in their workshops the men wlum they knew instead 01 being compelled 7.,. * 4-1.~ nt' H-nrl: mill slinl'Lurn nj

skilled labour to import men from otliii centres. Thus Xew Plymouth is nov well supplied with plumbers who ha '< passed their several examinations, wstl credit to themselves, and with result ant advantages to the public. All told the three plumbing and electrical firm whose, businesses form the subject o this article employ about forty hati in Xcw Plymouth, ami pay out a eoi: Siderable sum in weekly wages. MKSSIiS. NIXON & XIXOX. This firm lias been in existence, thou.;: with different title styles, for some thirteen years in Xew' 'Plymouth. Until recently the premises were situated in Liardet Street, but the buildings had to be demolished in favour of a more pretentious structure- a motor garage —and now the business is carried on ill a more commodious factory in Devon Street, near' the Liardet Street corner. Tile workshop? at the rear are fitted

with the usual machinery, and, with I double doors and cart dock, are Tory convenient for handling licavy goods. All sorts of plumbing, both outdoor and indoor, are executed 011 the premises under modern conditions. The firm's specialty in the way of export is in lead-headed nails. Mr. AA. C. Nixon a few years ago designed a compact little machine for the manufacture ot these, and a couple of machines are kept busy. Under the system of manufacture thb "Star" brand nails, whilst just as effective, cost less titan any other, from the fact that less lead is used in the heads. There is an unsatisfied demand for these, and several of the machines have been sold to firms in various parts of the Dominion. This is a local industry in every way, the casting moulds being designed, manufactured, and fitted together in our own town. .Messrs. 1 Nixon & Nixon have kept up to the times in the matter of electrical installations, both for lighting and power. Electric motors producing up to about 50 horse-power have been installed in various places of manufacture, and a special staff is Kept busy on lighting installations in town and suburbs. For this work the firm has imported vcy

largely all kinds of electrical supplies and fittings., which are well displayed in a fine .showroom. Imported radiators, for thi! electric heating of rooms, being a somewhat expensive article, this firm lias decided to put in hand right away the manufacture of a cheap, but very effective, style of heater in time for next winter's business. IIKSSUS. iNJIAKT JIKOS. Messrs. Smart Brothers have been in business here for thirteen years, and first opened in premises opposite Messrs. J). Kerry & Co.'s, in Brougham Street. Three or four years .sufficed for the volume of trade to outgrow the accommodation, and the firm took fresh quarters higher up the street, at the Powderham Street corner, and they still liool the same stand, having remodelled the building to meet their requirements. The workshops are on the ground flo> r in Powderham Street, with store-rooms and nail-making shop 011 the first floor. Showrooms and office occupy the Brougham Street front. The firm has establishments in Stratford and Ingiewood, and is one of the largest plumbing and electrical firms outside the four centres. The New Plymouth branch lr's kept ten plumbers employed for years past, beside* the electrical staff. A visit, to the workshops was sufficient io siiow tliaL Sm irt I'.ros, are alive to the value 01 labour-saving machinery, •ami having installed several modern machine-. they are enabled to manufacture all their own spouting, ridging, vallevs. and gutters, of which articles tliev also supply-considerable quantities to businesses in other parts of the provinc;.. The firm has a patent bracket for holding spouting, the principle advantage of which is that it holds at the top and stiffens the spouting. It i* also very easily tixed. and is much stronger than the. bracket generally in use. By the use of heavy machinery the vent pip™ for sanitary work are turned out 011 the premises. A capstan-like affair excited the curiosity of the reporter, who was then given an exhibition of the ease with which, by means of this machine, a two-inch gas-pipe can be bent to any desired angle in a few seconds. There are not many of these in use :n the Dominion. Messrs. Smart Bros, have started out in a new line that should prove a profitable one. We refer to the manufacture of heavy sheet zilic baths, fashioned after the style of the cast-iron baths, standing 011 casiiron feet. These are more sanitary than the built-in galvanised-iron bath, and can be installed at about the same cost. The tirni has done a considerable amount of dairy factory plant installation. and last season set up about a dozen cream and butter vats in various parts of the province. All the lead work for sanitary connections is ma.le bv tile firm, and corrugated iron tanks electric radiators, lul d lead-headed nails are included in the list of manufactures. A very big share of the electrif.il installations i u the town has fallen vo the firm, which has a line stock of fittings.

GRIFFITHS BROTHKItS. .Messrs. Urilliths Brothers' establis 1-iiH-ut in Devon Street east, although gwnlly enlarged a l'ew years ago by the erection of line showroom ami ollice, was slated by Mr. F. G. Grilliths to lie tow small for the sound increase or trade, The principal item of manufacture, and one that has a Dominion reputation, is the Grilliths patent skylight. Our reporter was shown one ot these in course of construction and h id its good points described. Jirieily, this skvli«ht ln-ats all others in design, for t is so constructed that there is 110 possibility of leakage, not a drop from a flood of water from a hose linding a chalice of entering the building. By a very simple and inexpensive alteration it is possible to use the skylight as a ventilator. A large order is now ;n hand for the new Criterion Motor Garage, ami these improved skylights lmve been used in many of the largest biiulings locally, notably the Moturoa Freezing Works' and the New Plymouth Technical 'School. Mr. L. JiuHot, who recently left here for Australia, is very ■successfully introducing them to Australian firms, and it is -Mr. Griffiths' in-j tention shortly to commence tile work j of manufacture in Wellington, so great j [is the demand. This line of business' ! necessitates the stocking of a very large quantity 01 special glass. The 'workshops are replete with all the latest labour-saving appliances. A fine Rhodes spouting machine enables the firm to cope with a large provincial demand for spouting, whilst all the necessary equipment is there for riding and downpipe=,, which are also exported in considerable | quantity. The firm, of eourse, uses all 1 its own spouting, etc., which is a pretty big saving in cost of a building. Other apparatus includes a bending machine, machine, very large guillotine .( for cutting sheet zinc and galvanised [ i iron oorrugators, folding machines, and ,! so on. From ten to twelve hands are ' kept busy at. factory and outside work, 1 .which embraces sanitary and builders' I plumbing and electrical installations. In ' the latter department the firm seems j 'to have made special efforts to cope with tbo trade.