THE TITUS SALT COMPANY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9144, 30 August 1892, Page 2

THE TITUS SALT COMPANY.

A cable measßge in yesterday's issue stated that the Titns Salt Company has gone into liquidation owing to the effect of the M'Kinley tariff. The reason giveu is a strange one. No doubt the heavy duties on woollen goods ia the United States bos injured the English manufacturing trade, bat the Titus Salt Company had almost a monopoly in its own line. It worked up the wool or hair of the Angora goat, commonly known as mohair, into lustres, glacis, Verona serges, baiiges, and similar tine textures, and so far as we know it did not make ordinary woollen goods. It was an immense concern, founded iv 1850 by Titus Salt, a philanthropist manufacturer whoso fame was once world-wide. He had previously been in business as a wool spinner In Bradford, but hit attention was called to the capabilities of mohair and alpaca for the manufacture of fine dress fabrics, and he was the first to net up works for their manipnlation in England, Struck by the nnhealthiness of the factory workers herded together in towns, he determined to do his best to get better conditions for his employe's. He bonght liind ia the beautiful valley of the Aire, between Leeds and Bradford, nod there established a model factory add model village. He built at his own expense a church, schools, a working men's club costing £30,000, fine baths, and other conveniences and civilising agencies, nnd the honses of the workers were examples to the rest) of the world. The work was, from its nature, unhealthy, the Tine particles of hair floating in the atmosphere of the factories, when inhaled, causing serions diseases and sometimes sudden death. All that could be done to obviate this danger was done, and in addition to high wages during life, the operatives kuew that if they died in harness their wiveß aod families would be cared for. Few men were so beloved, and though of a modest and retiring disposition, he was induced to staud for Parliament iv 1859 and was triumphantly returned. In acknowledgment) of his philanthropic worki he was created a baronet in 1869. He died in 1876, and the business, which had grown to enormous dimensions, the factories alone covering twelve acres, was purchased by the company which bos now come to grief.