A NEW INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17660, 22 December 1920, Page 10

A NEW INDUSTRY.

N.Z. REED LOOM COMPANY.

MACHINE WICKER FURNITURE.

The manufacture of woven furniture by hand is fast becoming a thing of the past, and is giving way to the loom recently invented 3 bv Marshall B. Lloyd, of Menomime. Michigan, U.S.A. A little more than a decade ago the idea of wicker nork being done by machinery was regarded as beyond the realm of possibility. Now, however, 'with the aid of Mr. Lloyd's wonderful apparatus, we find all manner of designs of furniture being turned out like clock-work- This machine has opened up a new furniture manuiactorv, in connection with which paper fibre, 'reinforced by high tensile wire, is used. 'this wicker furniture has a vonderful durability and so far as appearance goes it is attractive, and in addition, settees, easy chairs, and lounges, made from this material, for comfort, defy comparison bv any other form of woven wlc ker furniture. " A New Zealand loom '•oinpanv was recently formed to acquire the patent rights of the invention for the Dominion. The company established a factory in Randolf Street. Newton, and now furniture, as that already descnbed, together with baby carriages, bassinet ies and fern stands are he.ng manufactured at a rate 36 times taster than they could be turned out by even the most proficient and rapid hand worker. 11ns is truly the age of discoveries, and it is indeed fortunate that the residents of Auckland and the people of New Zealand generally have had established here_ the or.lv industrv of the kind in the voild, t ho" United States excepted. A company tormed- in Australia is about to commence operations in this line of business, but the New Zealand Reed Loom Company is really the pioneer of this industry, apait from the inventor of the loom and the incidental machinery. 'lhe local company have not been able to secure the chassis invented by Mr. Lloyd for the manufacture of baby carriages, but with commf'sidabi,e enterprise lti has turned Ls attention to the use of paper wicker fibre for making other articles of every-day household use, including easy chairs, rocking chairs, settees, afternoon tea tables, samples of which are on view at its factors- and for which there is a ready demand in the leading furniture warehouses in the city. ' The manager of the company, Mr. r. t'. Jacobs, lias succeeded in designing a perfectly-balanced rocking chair, which has . become most popular with the public. Frames and parts used in connection v. ith the manufacture of baby carriages by Mr. Lloyd in his extensive business have been imported by the company, and as a result these articles _ are now being constructed on the premises. These parts include many novelties which have been patented by Mr. Lloyd. The wheels can be detached with the greatest simplicity. and at a moment's notice for the purpose of lubrication, and by the aid of the Lloyd fifth wheel the body of a baby carriage can be so arranged as to serve the purpose of a cradle, or it can be turned at will to protect a child from the elements. The springs are so constructed that no unnecessary jolting of a baby takes place, and, further, in order to reduce to a minimum the amount of energy necessary to stear the conveyance. Possibly the outstanding feature in connection with this kind of wicker furniture is that it lends itself to enamelling in any shade desired. "Of course generally cream enamel is used, but most artistic effects can and have been achieved by using grey, blue, or brown enamel, or in fact by utilising any other colours. The New Zealand Reed Loom Company, through its manager, has experimented with various designs for relieving what may be called the ordinary plain wicker work by the introduction of an ornamental weaving in the backs of chairs and in other articles made on the premises. This gives the furniture an attractive appearance, and shows that so far as material for decorative purposes is concerned those in search of this for tho interior of houses find it ready to their hand in the paper fibre wicker which is absolutely, immune from the attack of the much-dreaded borer or other similar insects.

WHY DO WOMEN SMILE ? BECAUSE OF SLICK SHINE. THE SUPERB CLEANER, ! A boon to housewives is Slick Sliine, i u " S e labour-saving polish thait has been made available to women with domestic duties to perform within ' recent times. It is adapted for the cleaning of linoleums, oilcloth, furniture, bicycles, motor-cars, perambulators, shop fixtures, paint work, stained floors, and leather coverings. In addition, iron, steel, or other articles of metal, if given a coat of Slick Shine while hot, -vvill be proof against rust or tarnish for. an indefinite period. This very valuable mixture has made the household duties of many women in Auckland very light, since it was first placed on the market aiiid the grocer who does not stock it is indeed a short-sighted business man. 1 oitunately Slick Shine may be' procured at almost all the grocery establishments in the city, but those who do not now stock it are advised to do so without delay, for the reason that it will mean a loss of business if they do not, Paul Bock and Co., the manufacturers of the commodity, state positively that thev can supply the requirements of storekeepers, but they absolutely decline to increase the sellers' profit beyond 33g- per cent. Their idea is that, as they are working manufacturers, they are content with a living from their product,, and desire Slick Shine to be sold to the. public at a price which will place it within the means of everyone requiring it, irrespective of the financial standing of the user. Monopolistic control is not their own. That is the sole prerogative 'of Slick Shine, which controls dust and keeps the home clean. Slick Shine compels the housewife to beam. It has a wonderful rep.utfrtion, gained after repeated trials, and there is scarcely a wife in the Auckland district who, after using this scientific preparation, has not a kindly thought for the manufacturers. Mr. Bock's advice to housewives is : " Some stores out to fleece you won't stock Slick Shine to please you, but is tores out to please you will Slick Shine on their shelves to grefet \ou. Tnis valuable cleanser serves a twofold purpose, the second' being that it it valuable as a stain, and leaves a. very fine polish. As a floor polish it is invaluable, for the sole reason that unlike other inferior articles, it won't " fasten " the dirt. „ Pa " l Bock and Company, of Hobson fotrect. also manufacture a great disinfect,ant and dust-preventative under th" title of glvcerole. Wooden floors or cork linos treated with this compound are dust, dirt, germ, and vermin proof. Neither fleas or microbes can multiply or exist where this fluid is freelyused. One application will remain effective for quite a long time if liberally applied, the quantity must be regulated according to the nature of the surface to be treated and its ability to absorb the liquid. Surfaces treated according to the instructions issued by the manufacturers always look clean and cool, never drv or dusty, and may be swept at any time without the aid of water or sawdust, for rtu dust ever rises from a floor treated with glvcerole. It 'is a by-product of glycerine, and is of a fattv'nature, and therefore never congeals like ordinary oily mixtures, and iti this lies the secret of the success of glvcerole when used for" the porposes described. It is superior to mop oils, in so far that it removes all foreign substance when applied, and is not in any way influenced by atmospheric conditions. It is one of the most sanitary mop fluids j m existence to-day, and great have been the results achieved by it. Among the numerous other lines manufactured by Messrs. Bock and Company is the B mender, which lias gained much since being placed on the market. Don't forget these preparations have been made for the benefit of the 1 public., and their judicious use has made Eiany women happy.

THE PLACE TO DINE OR TEA AT PRIOR'S STRAND CAFE. The proprietors of this very popular restaurant (at the Queen's Street entrance to the Strand Arcade) claim that it is the largest cafe in New Zealand. It is certainly delightfully spacious and' very cool, even on the hottest day. It will accommodate 500 guests at one time, andi during 1 the coming holidays it will assuredly be taxed to its utmost capacity. All the arrangements are good, and the plant is right up-to-date. This includes a machine for producing butter-rolls for table use, a bread-slicer that will treat from 30 to 40 loaves per hour, a potato-peeler that will deal with a hilhdredweighfc or two of " murphies " in a twinkling, and on© of the latest hot-water apparatuses for tea and coffee-making. The tables when laid for dinner or tea present a most inviting appearance, and it is worthy of note that for a very modest fee you can partake in this pleasant restaurant, of a really wellcooked and substantial meal. And after you have finished you can, if you wish, retire to the comfortable lounge and enjoy a good rest. The reason why tho Strand Cafe is eo cool and restful is that being considerably below the level of the street it is out of the glaj-e of the sun, and to turn into this place on a hot day is like entering another climate. The proprietary cater for all kinds of social functions in A.l style.