OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2127, 28 November 1868, Page 2

OUR LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Tin: Working or Metals.

Perhaps there is no branch of industry of more importance to fcho prosperity of a new colony or of a young province than tho working in metals and minerals. la Otago especially, the successful prosecution of such an industry is one of the keystones to permanent prosperity. Not only is employment given toskilled labour; not only is much money circulated within the place, but progress is.teing made U* dovt-Jopo vast resources which until now have been comparatively uncared for. It is no exaggerated (statement, but a wellascertained fiicfc, that CM ago has within. itKulf unlimited resources ; that hoards o£ mineral wealth lie concealed, only awaiting enterprise and capital to discover and. to uso for the good of all. Not only ia gold found in almost every gully and creek, but lead, iron, copper, and manyother minerals and metals are known to exist abundantly in the province. Here, too, coal is plentiful ; and thus almost all the essentials for creating and retaining a trade of the utmost intportanco lio at our doors. Too much, cannot bo said about the more than importance —tho necessity—of encouraging tliis branch of industry. liy it a demand for labour will becreated, and that demand will bo supplied without the aid of immigration agents ; by it capital will be brought into tho country ; and as its use benefits the individual, so it will necessarily benefit the many. That there is a steadily increasing demand for locally manufactured articles cannot bo deniod, and every step taken. to reduco the cost of the raw material and to employ skilled labour will tend to still further increase that demand. Whent it is considered that year after year the* value of machinery imported into the Province is increasing in amount, it will readily be seen that could only a portion of that trade be carried on successfully, the results would be beneficial. In 1865, the value of mining machinery alono in the Province of Otago was set down as L 178.705. Since then thoro has been a steady increase, and last year tha value of agricultural, mill, mining, wool-press-ing, and other machinery imported, was nearly LGO.OOO. And this is not all, for many articles of use to the miner, the farmer, and the citizen aro now being imported, when a little encouragement would enable them to be manufactured here. Little seems to re known as. to what has been done and what can be done in the working of metals in Duncdin. Miners send to Mcl: oarnor for their machinery. Agriculturists do not believe in implements of any but British make. The idea of a steamer being wholly built here, or tho girders of a bridge or the plant of a railway being constructed in the place, would seem to many people preposterous. Yet such, things can be done. There are firms in Dunedin which, for years, have been quietly working, expending much. capi al in labour-saving machinery, and in obtaining the very perfection o£ mechanism in their plant, in introducing mechanical skill of the highest order into the Province, and in turning out from their factories articles of all descriptions. If not ' from a needle to an anchor,1 from a small nut or screw to a large and powerful engine, have been ma-lc in Diinedin ; and not only as specimens o£ work will they bear comparison with, articles imported, but they successfully compete in price. With a view of showrug this to be no exaggerated statement, we propose to give details of a visit to the ironworks and foundries in Dunedin, taking them in turn, and describing to the best of our ability the process oi manufacture of the various articles for which each of the places we visit are noted. The first ono on our list is the

VULCAN FOUNDItV : MESSRS KIKUAID, M'QUKENj AND CO.

The works of this enterprising firm ara in Groat King street. A modest looking building, not presenting on the outside any idea of the Bpace or the conveniences within. Yet in that unprettntling and rather dingy looking enclosure,, some o£ the beafc workmen in tho colony

or out of it are employed, and from it havo been turned out manufactured articles of tho very l-ft»t description. For the past six years, Messrs Kincaid, M'Qtieen, and Co., h;tve been engaged in bringing to perfection their appliances for carrying on the peculiar descriptions of work to which they give their attention, and though their mumifuctory is small, as compared with similar places at Homo, it ia very complete. An you enter, the oflico is on the right of the yard, and next to that are largo racks for the storage of the rough mefal. Hero may be Been iron in all its (Hfierent forms—bar, rod, pig, shoot, galvanised, hoop, plate in all sizes and lengths. On the left of the entrance are the blacksmiths' shop and boiler department. They aro fitted up with five forges, used with a fan blast for tho fires, the old necessary for tho forge, the bellows, b'iny unknown. In thet oilermaking shop there is a very complete punching and shearing machire. This littlo piece of mechanism v.ill cut or bore a hole through a thick piece of metal as easy as paper can be cut with a scisdors or pricked with a pin. There is aho a plate bending machine, besides other machines necessary for tho finest and most intricate work. Passing along, wo come to tho engine shop. Here there are three large turning lathes, and a number of small ones. Here too is a very ingenious bolt and nut f/.-re-ving machine. It i 3 pleasant to watch the working of this machine, and the .apparent case and rapidity with which the perfect article is made suggest tho thought that them should be less of the imported and more of the locally manufactured article used. There is also in tho engine fhop a capital drilling machine, and here and there aro vices, anvils, «fee. which are always in use. The little engine which drives tho whole of the machinery of the establishment, Btands at one end of tho room, and although it docs not look very big, it is very powerful. The principal work proceeding at the time of our visit were the engines, &c., made for tho enterprising gentlemen of Qucenstown who are having a steamer built for the Lake. They aro a pair of diagonal, highpressure, coupled steam engines, 30 horsepower, with multitubular boiler, on-the fire box principle, such as is used in locomotives. The firo box is extra large, as the little steamer will perhaps often be compelled to burn wood. The feed water to the boiler is heated by tho waste steam, on an improved principle. The engines are fitted with link motion, reversing gear, and other improvements, for the eaay and economical working of the boat. Tho whole of the work has been done on the premises, and wo bclievo it is tho first that has been completed in Otago, if not in New Zealand. Attached to this work there is a tale which has an exceedingly good moral. The contract was only given to Messis Kincaid, M 'Queen, and Co., after the offer of it had been sent to Melbourne ; and their tender is lower than that received from Victoria. Mr Buchanan superintended this particular work, and tho whole is executed of the very beat materials, with every care paid to the most minute details. The next division of tho foundry is the moulding shop. There in a crano for lifting heavy castings, one that will lift from two to three tons. Any and every kind of work has been cast here, from cog wheels for sewing machines to columns for bridges. Those for the West Taieri Bridge were perhaps tho largest iron castings ever done here. They were Gft Oin long and 2ft Gin in diameter. All the casting in brass required is done on tho premises—in fact, all tho work is begun and completed within the walls of the foundry, even to the making of tho packing coses in which the goods manufactured aro conveyed to their destination. The pattern shop is above. It is fitted up with a circular saw, and also a small vertical saw for cutting out segments. This is of the greatest use for pattern making, in this room designs of all tho articles required aro made, and tho whole room is filled with ingenious models, amongst which is a model of a turbine wheel, in ado for the Scandinavian Mining Company. One had been obtained from Melbourne ; but it was not suitable, and with tho power of water obtainable would not work. The one made by Messrs Kincaid, M'Queen, and Co., has answered admirably ; ;u3 also has another one made on tho same principle, for the Southberg Co. Hero, too, are models of stamper heads, of work done for tho steamers Lady of tho Lake, the Bruce, the Lioness, a number of lighters, and last, but not least, tho Kecra. Tho work done on tho last named boat wo recently described. But many other kindß of work are executed in tho foundry ; water wheels, flax rollers, stamper boxes, ripplo boxes, and many other kinds of mining and other machinery. Throughout the whole- of the establishment there is thogrcatest system. The arrangements made for tho working of the plant aro very simple, but very complete. The average number of men employed is 50. The foundry is well worthy of inspection ; and the foreman of the works, Mr Council, shares with the spirited proprietors the honour of having turned out specimens of ironwork not excelled by anything imported.