THE MILLING INDUSTRY

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14658, 6 May 1913, Page 10

THE MILLING INDUSTRY

Milling was, of necessity, one of tho very first industries to bo established in Canterbury, and it was not many years after the town of Christ-church ■lia<l taken on tho semblance of civilisation that tho first mill was erected where Hereford street now crosses tho Avon, being worked by that stream. The noted windmill that has given its name to Windmill road was erected in tho middle of the 'fifties, but before either of these businesses were got into full swing, the quaint old hand-mills were in vogue, and for many years these machines were in common iiso by back country settlers who found it more practicable to manufacture their own flour than cart it out readymade. Where all these old hand-mills have vanished to is a mystery, but they are somewhat of a curiosity nowadays, with their metal rollers and sieves from grading the flour when ground. Their capacity was small, and could hardly have been bott-er than a bushel per hour. There is hardly any industry now being conducted in tins province whero greater strides have been made in the methods of manufacture, and it is a far cry indeed from tho old water and windmills with their stone gnnders to tho intricate Mid elaborate machinery that is installed in the modern niills. The uso of metal rollers, which have now practically replaced stones, came in about the middle of tho 'eighties, and from that time on, the science of tho milling engineer has been called into service to bring the progressive mills into lino with modern requirements. Tho greater proportion of the milling machinery tJiat is used in Canterbury mills comes from the United Kingdom; some is imported from the Continent, but even that is mostly manufactured by English firms having special works out of England, and America does not participate in the trade to any extent at present. In the 'eighties the milling industry was in a very satisfactory condition, and a good deal of their products were exported to Australia, but owing to changes in the situation that trade has ceased, as Australia is now in a position to supply her own requirements. Canterbury is in the forefront of tho milling industry in the Dominion at tho present day, and produces more flour and other milling products than can be consumed by the local population. In consequence, a brisk trado is carried on with the North Island, and it is estimated that quite fifty or sixty per cent, of tho output is exported Jsorth, and, to a lesser degree, South. No doubt the industry is specially favoured by the fact that Canterbury is tho chief grain growing province in New Zealand, and the supplies of raw ma- | terial are, so to speak, right at the miller's doors. The business has «x- ' panded steadily, keeping pace with the population of tho Dominion, and it may bo said to be is a reasonably pros- j perous condition. Although the Can- j terbury millers have had a good many ! difficulties to contend with in one way and another, yet they have always managod to turn out a high grade article that has met with a verj- favourable reception from the consumers. It is a peculiar fact -that thirty or more years ago there were more milling es- : tablishmcnts in Canterbury than at the ' present day, but this has'little bearing ■ upon the question of production, be- ' cause- a modern mill cannot be coin- I pared with an old-fashioned one, so far ' as quantity and quality of the manufac- i turod product is concerned. In 1881 l thirty-two years ago, there were 39 : milling and grain-cleaning works in i operation in the province, ten beim* worked by steam, twenty-six by water one by steam and water combined and two by wind and steam. The total : horse power of the mills was 602 and 10 ' pairs of stones were installed Ihe industry gave employment to 13- men, ami the total production of flour was 22 014 tons, and of meal 3102 tons. Ten years later a big expansion is noticed in productive power. Forty milk were working, employing 189 hands, who drew £19,675 in wages Nineteen ot these mills were worked by steam, and 26 by water, and the horse power had increased to 920 \o less than 1.916.454 bushels of wheat and 197,750 bushels of other cereals BBofc"* l \T gK havin S * value of WdiVi-^ c amc « nfc of flour made was 41,31/ tons and meal 5571 tons, which was worth £391.142. In 1901 the number .of mills had dropped to 23 employing 201 men and one woman J*o« Pay roll was £19,031. Twelve of the mill? were run by steam, t«n by water, and ono by gas. and the horse power is recorded as 835. Twenty-two pairs of stones and 160 sets of rollers y-oi -T,- \ with tJ ie result that ,i'o 9 V-o , V u -i hels of wheat and l/0,40b bushels of other grain was "i 1 material being valued S^ -'2-150.034. The flour tonnage was .i.1.10S and meal 1522, having a total worth of £273,379. At the present day I tho number of mills remains steady*; there are 16S men and four women.

who gain a direct livelihood from the inuituiv. and whoso annual wages amount to £20,80). Filteen of the trills arc run l.ty steam, while the motive power of the remainder is water, .'as and electricity, alone or in conii)ination. the total horse power being 1300 The number ot pairs ol stones has decreased to 16. while the roller sets havo' increased to ISX). Tlie nulls put through -2.-2i7.U-i bushels of wheat, valued at .*;3'JJ.aiW, and 211,943 bushels of oats, worth as well as other material making a total value ot £;-12 ( J.4(it». No less than 46.327 tons of flour 'was made, and lo'2l tons of oatuifiil, these tircdiK'is being valued at i'42l.2Sf> am]'Vl'i ,-iV.i rrsptx-iively, and the y;raiid value of all Canterbury milting jjroauct.s is assessed at £'.>U,334

(Published by Arrangement.)

: H. F. STEVEXS AND CO. i I "Ciitlictlr.il Brand" is a well-known i trado mark to be seen on articles in . most shop windows in Christchurcb, and ; the fact that it is being impressed , upon shoppers in all parts of the Dominion testifies to the importance of the firm it represents—ll. F. Stevens, , manufacturing chemist. From liis premises in Worcester street, Jus distributes a largo volume of such articles ' as culinary essences, cordials, different i "health-repairing" tonics, etc.. and tho extent of the industry being fostered by this firm may be judged by two comprehensive displays of locally-manufac-tured goods which are now on view in the windows of Walker's pharmacy in Manchester and Mr J- A. Cooke's shop , ; lit t.t>.s;i(.i ii>(.- l; t. respectively. liie aim of the firm is to manufacture the '; best articles possible—they do not go in for any cheap lines— .and at the same time they place on the market preparations at the lowest possiblo price consistent with a high standard in quality. The business objective of ; the- firm is to impress upon tlio com- ; munity the worth of their mamilac- ! tures; they seek the public's confidence :so that if they used certain prepara- ; tions once they will alway.-* come back i again, and to induce this the firm recognise that a high' quality in their gouds must be preserved. To ensure the output of high-class goods the firm have secured the services of specially trained men to attend to the manufacturing side of the business. Tho i ta.sk beiore a firm dealing in locally- ' manufactured articles is a difficult one as tiie reputation of imported preparations is usually found to bo firmly established, and in any branch of trado one will always find a prejudice against tho»local article. But tho quality of -Mi- Jl. l<. btevens' goods has been strong enough to wage war against all competitors, and now the firm's business is extensive and their locallvmaiiuiacturcd articles may bo found in all pares or the Dominion. The exhibit in Mr Cooke's shop is almost wholly The article is a similar preparation to hl \°*\' l \ nt Salts, but it is a more palatable beverage, and is placed on the market at a lower price. Tho exhibit in .Ur \\ alker's snop is of a varied description, principally consisting oi d.fiwcut Jiiuiiiui ujijics, such us ucel and iron wine, quinine port, etc., and liero one may find a preparation which will ' restore health and at the same time not, prove excessively distasteful, at a reasouabJo price. But the manufactures or tno firm are not confined to these artic.es. Special features are also mado of different kinds of culinary essences, vinegar essence made from malt, and pure vegetable acetic acid—as. distinct from mineral acetic acid—medical tinctures, medicinal spirits, all kinds of chemical foods, cordials. Bay Hum lavender water, etc.. etc. To go into further details of Mr H. F. Stevens's business is to deal with an extensive industry; suffice it to say that his business represents an important factor in the great volume of New Zealand-made goods that arc now bein£ exhibited in Chnstchurch.