New Zealand Portland Cement.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 3, 2 January 1906, Page 66

New Zealand Portland Cement.

It is frequently heard that the manufacturing enterprisers of the colonies are over fond of imitating the products of manufacturers of the old world and the United States, and that these imitations are generally much below the standard of the original articles. Be this true or open to doubt, the fact remains that there are many merchandises bearing recognised names, which can claim but distant affinity with their places of original manufacture, or the names of their originators. Amongst these is Portland cement. Portland cement is so called, not because it was originally made at the English town bearing that name, or because Portland was the man's name who invented it, but on account of the similarity of its colour to a stone which was found at Portland. So Joseph Aspden, not having the prescience which characterises a modern inventor, gave his great formula to the world in 1824, and he called it Portland cement, a compound of lime and clay fashioned into the famous material which every producer is entitled to call Portland. " Star " brand Portland cement, equal to the highest foreign grade, is manufactured in New Zealand at the present day by Messrs. John Wilson & Co. at their works, Warkworth, forty miles north of Auckland. This business was commenced 111 1885, although fifteen years prior to that lime was being produced ; and it is a significant fact that the first lime was manufactured in the district as far back as 1849. The capacity of the Warkworth works is twenty-five thousand tons per annum, made possible by the installation of a complete modern rotary plant. Over eighty hands are constantly employed in keeping pace with the big demand for " Star " brand Portland ; and as evidence of the merit of this cement it may be stated that over nine- thousand tons have been placed in the Napier breakwater, and that Messrs. Wilson are large suppliers to the Wellington and Gisborne Harbour boards, the Public Works and Railway Department, etc., etc. Portland cement differs in standard according to the country it is manufactured m, but " Star " Portland, as made at the Warkworth works, is capable of standing the highest tests ; and Messrs. Wilson, fully confident of the merits of their cement, will send it to any port of the colony subject to the recognised conditions of the world's tests. The firm's Hydraulic lime is an excellent lime for building purposes, free from waste, and fit for mortar or concrete in wet or dry work.

Messrs. A. J. Watkins & Co., of Auckland, inform us that sales of the marvellous " Kalon

Camera" are increasing rapidly. This is easilyunderstood when it is remembered the the " Kalon " is absolutely without a rival m New Zealand. The " Kalon" embodies all the latest improvements, and is posted to any part of New Zealand for 31/6.

A 12-h p " Acme " gas engine, in perfect order, is offered for sale at Hastings. Further particulars are printed 111 our advertising columns

Messrs. Edward Recce & Sons, Christchurch, make a speciality of engineers', woodworkers', and garden and farm tools. In addition they have a large stock of up-to-date hardware in every department.

" Seven months in the making of a first-class tailoring business " is the experience of Mr. W. F. Newson, of 30 Cuba Street, Wellington. Mr. Newson employs thirty-five hands, who are all busily occupied in making smart suits for many of our business men.

Leon Bollack, a French decimahst, has improved on the " decade " of the revolutionists In La Revue he proposes a five day's week. He suggests that the year should be divided into seventy-three weeks of five days each—four working days and a day of rest. The general conditions of labour, he says, tend to show that a period of four consecutive days of work without interruption is sufficient, and it is only the inferior races who work continuously. It was because the work of ten days created by the Republican Calendar in 1793 allowed for less relaxation than the seven day's week that it was rejected.

Some years ago the Government purchased the patent rights for New Zealand of the cyanide process of gold extraction. The amount paid has since been returned to the Government by mining companies 111 the form of royalties for the use of the process, and it is now officially notified in the Gazette that the use of the process in the colony is free.