MOSGIEL WOOLLEN FACTORY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 261, 30 January 1873, Page 6

MOSGIEL WOOLLEN FACTORY.

Last Friday evening the second anniversary of the Mpsgiel Woollen Factory was held in a portion of th,e newly- erected buildings, rendered necessary by the extended operations of the company, consequent on the increase ing demand for their manufactures. The doe date of the anniversary is in May next, but having the new buildings available before the machinery is placed in them., the firm to use the language of Mr Barns at the meeting last evening, wished "to see as many of their friends as 'possible under their own roof- tree," and therefore oebbrated the anniversary last night. The building in which the entertainment was given is a large one-storey wooden structure, 80 ft x 44ft to he bye-aud-bye occupied with additional looms, jennies, and carding engine. Around the room, specimens of the company's manufactures—blankets, tweeds, hosiery, underclothing, &c.,' were hung, some of these being the later production of the firm, and evidencing considerable improvement in the manner of finishing the gcgdj, One table was pl^td ncroes the

upper end, and three others up and down, nearly the entire length of the spicious room. These were all filled with the workpeople employed in the factory an! the euests of the firm, many of whom came from town, and many others from the surrounding districts. At six o'clock the guests assembled, and sat down to an excellent supper provided by Mr Chisman, manager for Mrs Frier, Mr A. J. Burns occupying the «hair. When supper had been disposed of, the chairman in a neat and appropriate speech proposed the health of Her Majesty th* Qu^en, which was drunk with all honor 3, Mr Burns lending the "National Anthem." Mr Wales then proposed the health of His Exc-jllency the Governor ; and in so doing, alluded to th* many improvements which had beeu made, and the progress achieved in t^e Colony, but especially iv the Proviuce, during the period Sir Geonre Bowen has been Governor of this Colony. 'I he toast was duly responded to. The " Pupprinte- dent and Provincial Council " wao then proposi d by Mr Robert Ftovenstn, an 1 acknowledged by Air Tohn L. Gillies, Ai.P.C , aud Speaker of the Council. Mr Gillies then proposed the toast of the evening — " Prosperity to the Mosgiel Woollen Factory." Mr Furns maie a suitable and feeling renly to the r maiks of Alesi-rs Gillies aud Will, in 'he course of which he paid a high compliment to his pa tner, Mr Sraaill. He said he had fe't the serious re*p< nsibi'ity he had undertaken in advising the removal to New Zealand of Mr Smaill and patty, and that, if anything would have driven him to the verge of despair, it would have been the failure t.f those people he h-id persuaded to leave home aud friends to make a n»w home in New Zealand. He, however, had never entertained the sl'ghtest fear of the ultimate issue, after his interview with Mr Smaill in the ol 1 country. Mr S a>ll and party arrived :n Otago in Alay, 1871 ; in ' c ober of that year, ihe first wool was put through the machine ; lutit was the following month before cloth of any Icmi-1 was se t to market, since which time the factory had turned out 600 pipces of tweed of 40 yards each ; ICO pieces of plaiding of 60 yards each ; 500 pairs of bankets, 9 ) plaids, 20 shawlc, 180 spindles of fingering orated. 600 do. ya p n. 645 pairs pants, 113 shirt- 1 . 1.200 pairs sock", and 55 > pairs of stockings. Though the amount of goods produced vas so large as to surprise himse'f The stock at present was VvTy low ; there was not a pair of speks on haml, and in other lines there was very little I- ft to se'l