A NEW LAUNDRY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5134, 28 November 1903, Page 9

A NEW LAUNDRY.

BIG COMPANY FOR WELLINGTON. 'QUICK PROCESSUS AND CHEAP METHODS. THE AMERICAN STEAM LAUNDRY COMPANY, WELLING TON. .WASHING WHILE YOU WAIT! lu the “New Zealand Time:,” advertising column:; tenders -aro invited (by Tiiouwh Turnbull, F, 1t.L8.A., and Bon. architects) for tho construction in brick of a laundry Unit will absolutely revolutionise tin; present local methods of doing laundry work. America, in accordance with long-established precedent, is behind the novel venture, which has for its most attractive fcaiuru the surety of the housewife receiving at 1 o’clock in tho afternoon tin; “wash” that she sent to tho laundry at 10 o'clock on tho morning of the same day ! Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin are each to have a, laundry established Really hy the syndicate—as a mat tic of tact, the Christchurch laundry is in existence, and it has met with such wide patronage that the establishment has already been found to be in.iiidieie.itly commodious for the needs put upon it, though a sum of £IB,OOO was tiio cost of setting it in going order. Profiting by this experience, the syndicate is prepared to expend on tho Wellington establishment; (to bo known na tho Wellington Branch of the American Steam Laundry Company) a sum of tIOO.OOO, so that it may ho fitted up thoroughly and ho sufficiently roomy to cope with the increasing demands that successive years will produce. Tho Wellington laundry will be built on land fronting Tngestro street anil mulling hack to the vioinitlv of Abtil Smith street, whence tho building may be reached by means of a blind lane. Tiio grounds will bo about one acre in exlent, . having a frontage to Ingests - © street of 75 feet hy a depth of tbit feet, and the building v;i 1-1 tie 7b 'root wide by 14a feet Jong, 'renders for tho eouttniction of the building will close on the sth' proximo, and tho building is to bo completed hv April of next year, to that in the -day succeeding the Jaunilry may begin its work. It will have a capacity to wash about 10U.U0D jiicces per day, and the machinery that will have to be installed to permit of this capacity being assured will cost close upon iua.UUU. Tho laundry will employ lot) to 200 hands (mostly women) aill of whom will bo engaged locally, and Inton'd in their work by experts, who will bo brought from America. There is to bo an export over each department lif tho business, whose duties will bo wholly those of superintendence.

Mr P. A. Hadley, who is tlio colonial roprcsontativo of the big syndicate, points out that in addition to doing all (cashing of tlio shipping, tlio works null be capable of handling that of a population of 100,000. In conjunction with tho laundry tho work of cleaning and repairing clothes nnyl linen will be carried on, besides which iip-tc-clato dyeworks will be established in a separate building. In other words, tho laundry is to bo carried on on exactly tho same lines as thd most modern and up-to-ejato of American institutions of a like nature. Tho syndicate, haying all necessary funds in hand, will not promote a company to giro effect to tho scheme, but u few shares will be offered, for private subscription, so as to give tho Wellington public an interest in the success of the concern and in its permanent car-rying-on. As a guarantee of the earning and investment qualities of tlie venture, tlio syndicate will assure nil contributing shareholders a high rate of interest for a number of years. The mode of conducting the laundry will bo to receive all soiled linen at one end of tho building and pass it through tho various departments on its way to tho other end. where it will bo delivered finished. The machinery for shirts and linen generally will bo of throe distinct kinds, so that customers may have cither high, medium, or domestic finish put on their goods, as It pleases them. One great point about tho laundry will be that tho general public, from tho working man up, will .bo able to bhnofit to such an extent (that is, laundrying will bo done at such prices) that it. will not pay any houses hold to wash at homo, while for hotelkeepers, and tho like special prices will bo charged,’ and these will bo considerably lower than what the public has been hitherto used to. When finished, . the laundry ■will bo completely equipped in every detail. Not only will there bo tlio machinery and a largo quantity of supplies, but there will bo six vans of the latest American and most approved typo and seven horses with harness and everything qccassary for table operations. liio/maclunory for tho new establishment is to be shipped from Chicago during December, so there will be no fear of delay in tho establishment of tho laundry through lack of machinery on tho completion of tho building. Tho laundry, besides having special facilities for shipping work, (rill havo separate machinery for dressing new work, such as shirts, collars, cto., as an inducement to local manufacturers to start an industry not hitherto carried on to any extent in Wellington. Apropos of this subject and cognate ones. Mr Hadley expressed himself as follows in tho course of a' recent interview:—“Tho cleaning of mens’ suits and such- work, is done by our laundries, ami wo mean to provide for carrying out this work in Wellington. 'Besides dying your clothes, we’ll dry-clean them, and this work will bo carried on under the sole charge and supervision of a thoroughly up-to-date expert. Provision will also bo made in the establishment for drying works, tho diying capacity cf which will bo at tho rate of 4000 pieces an hour. Tho syndicate has been going thoroughly into the matter for tho past five or six montlis. and has practically got control of the four centres of the colony. It has the completed works in. Christchurch and those to bo constructed hero, and it has also purchased the necessary ‘ground for a similar establishment in Auckland. It must not.be supposed however, that we will charge exorbitant prices; on tho contrary, customers will have an opportunity of making one to five-year contracts at the extremely low prices particulars of which will bo notified later.” In those days of advanced legislation and female franchise the demands cm woman’s time, have become almost burdensome, and therefore the boon of such facilities as the new laundry will afford for speedily disposing of the hitherto burdensome weekly “wash” will bo Imbed with joy by many a weary housewife perplexed at present with the double necessities of getting through the big -ashing heap and spending a few hours j study of tho latest political problems. |