THE MAKING OF BRICKS.

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

THE MAKING OF BRICKS.

The history of the business of making l)ricks in Canterbury is an interesting one. From the figures disclosed by statistics it appears that "P to the year 1905 the industry flourished considerably, and that since that year up to the present time it has steadied down, until to-day there are actually fewer works in this province for the

; manufacture of bricks, tiles and potten . than there were seven or eight year. l ; ago. Nor is Canterbury the only pro J vinco in which this significant decrease ; has occurred. Tlio figures relating tf ; Wellington. Auckland and Ota go tel! I tho same tale. The totals faithfully j sum up the. position, showing that in IDOO thero wore 103 of these works in New Zealand employing 838 men. in 100-j there were. 1.25 employing 12.51 men, while in 1910 the number of work? dropped to 94 employing 966 hands. The position is brought home very clearly in the statistics dealing simply with Canterbury. In 11)00 this province supported 20 manufactories at which 16S men earned their bread, nm! in 190-3 wlu'n tho statistician made his next calculation progress and growth displayed their signs in the increased timiitv:. Tin- niun!).-r o: mjuiiil.'Ciories had been increased by two givinp employment to ll.j moro men. *~Thori c-me 11)10 v.-ifn its ()nlv 13 worlrs were operating, and the niei engaged in the ind'istry were 74 los , ths-.n in 1900. and 191 less than in 100-">. Quite as interesting is the wage* bill. The men drew £12 f-19 in 1900 CIS.S-5") in 190.5, and £17.(U)S in 1910, Most important, however, is the story of tlie worl; done, for it is to this pp.r'i of an industry that one looks to weigl: up the fullifiß-ofF theory. Canterbn7-\ in 1900 turnnd out. 9.796..100 bricks o'l the more common sort, and 40 POO fire bricks. 302.000 drain pipes, 14.000 tiles, and 700 flowerpots of a toial value ol £23.742. In 100-5 we find the oxpocted increase. The province, mannfnerurod 15 927.149 common bricks. 97.500 fin brick*. 223..5"(3 drain p'pes in addition to other articles, tho total value in tbi; case being £'4f!.7fil or nearly double what it was in 1900. The 1910 figures! showing tliat moi-o rtotterv was boinp turned out are:—6.2H9.000 common bricks. fiI.POO firo-bricks, drain pil>es. 10,000 tiles, and 42.720 flowerpots of a total value of £34.423. . Somr explanation of the figures is necessary at this stage. The province it seems, is going in more- and more every year for tho manufacture, of pottery rnthor than of bricks, and in this depnriment it is more than holding its own with the other districts. Tv IPOn. r;it'fe-'i'ir- v mnmifactured pottorv valued nt £3-131. in 190.J the value of the nofrory turned out iumpf'd up to £8039. <md so ouicldv did this branch of tho industry flourish that tho pottery mnmifactured in 1910 was valued nt £1G 391. Tt will not bo generally known that prior to 18(53. there were three of these works in Now Zealand, so tho industry as for as tho Dominion is concerned is a fairly old one. The industry trns at its zenith in tho few years prior to 190.j when 18 new works were os+nblishetl. The part the busiress plays inour trade relations wifh other conntries can bo by tl-e fact that during tho yonr 1911. 7,5.000 bnildirrr bncks of a total value of £44 ard V fire nnr ' cs o( " n to'- , '! vji'no of £103 were exported from tho Dominion.