ENGINEERING AND IRON TRADES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17787, 20 November 1919, Page 10 (Supplement)

ENGINEERING AND IRON TRADES.

IMPORTANT LOCAL OPERA-

TIONS.

PROGRESS OF . THE INDUSTRY. DREDGE AND SHIP CONSTRUCTION. In the early history of Otago the need ■ for some means of effecting repairs to various, classes of machinery gave rise to the establishment in a small way of the trade of engineerii.g, and in a country so far removed as New Zealand is from the great manufacturing centres of the world, it was only to be expected that the industry would grow steadily. The mining boom also contributed a helpful stimulus in thn early days, and the gradual rise of many other industries, which, from time to time, require the supplementary aid of skilled mechanics, has caused the engineering operations of the provincial district to assume a very large relative importance. Otago possesses a considerable number oi well-equipped engineering and boilermaking" shops, all of which are capable of

executing a widely diversified range of repair work, as well as of undertaking many important constructive operations. Most of the iron foundries at present in operation in Otago were established a good many-years ago, but further back in the history of the trade occur the names of William Wilson (Otago Foundry, when it * was on Burts' present site), Kincaid and > M'Queen (Vulcan Foundry), Sparrow'and 'Hlndexson, and a number of "others

% very considerable amount of ship-

building and dredge construction has been dope in Otago, and while this trade has

fallen off to a marked extent during recent years, some of it still remains. Dunedin has played th* most important part of all the' centres in the dominion in both of these departments, and it has easily, led the way in the matter of steel ship-build-ing. The bulk of this latter work has been performed by Messrs John M'Gregor and' Co. at the Otago Foundry. Here the river steamers Clyde and Clutha were built for the Clutha Eiver Board, and the Waikana, and Waireka, for the Peninsula Ferry Company. This firm also built the

steamer Earnslaw, which is now in com

mission on Lake Wak'atipu, and is tha largest steel steamboat ever constructed in the dominion, her dimensions being:— Length 168 ft, beam 24ft, depth 10ft 6in. The last steamer built by Messrs M'Gregor and Co. was the Waipu, which was com- « pleted about three years ago to the order of the Northern Steamship Company. Amongst the dredges which they have built are the John Graham, for Nelson, the largest and most powerful harbour dredge ever made in this country, and the

Wallace dredge, which was built for the Riverton Harbour Board and is now operating, at Patea. Some years ago Messrs Cossens and Black, .A. and T. Burt, Sparrow and Co., and other en : gineering firms all took part in the construction of steel dredges, not only for ■ Otago and the dominion as a whole, but

tor export to Siam, South America, and other places. Among other vessels which were-constructed at various times in Dunedin were the paddle steamer Mountaineer, ftfiilt over 40 years ago by Messrs Kincaid and M'Queen, for the Lake Wakatipu (Service; the paddle steamer Peninsula, tfib: small coastal steamer Wallace, and steamer Port Jackson, all of which were built, by Sparrow and Co.; the Iron Age, the Jane Douglas, and the Tui. The Harbour Board's tug Dunedin was constructed by Messrs Stevenson and Cook, of Port a firm which devotes a large amount of attention to

' marine engineering work. Among the \ most important contracts which have been carried out by Messrs Stevenson and Cook (fitting recent times were the repairs to tne Knight of the Garter and to the steamer Westmoreland, which lately came out of dock. Within the last few years the.engineering trade of Qtago has developed to a remarkable extent in conjunction with the motor trade, and this is .now an important department in most of the shops in Dunedin. This innovation certainly increases the composite nature of the work done by the various engineering firms of Otago, and lends colour to their claim that they are capable of producing anything from a locomotive to a wheelbarrow. Many important engineering operations in connection with, the New Zealand railways are carried out at the Hillside Workshops.

v ' AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. MESSRS REID & GRAY'S ENTERPRISE. The manufacture of agricultural implements is one of the industries which has brought Dunedin prominently before the whole farming community of New Zealand, and as an instance in point it may be mentioned that Messrs Reid and Gray's ploughs are to be found in every part ,>f the dominion. There are only six firms of implement makers in New Zealand—four of these being in Christchurch, one in Inveroargill, and one in Dunedin. The firm of Reid and Gray was stablished in Oamaru 52 years ago, and a few years later it was removed to Dunedin, where it has carried on business ever since, gradually extending its operations until it now has a large trade at command, with seven or eight blanches in various parts of the dominion. It now provides employment for 175 men manufacturing and distributing, of whom 140 are engaged in the Dunedin works, a great many of them having been with the firm for a large number of years. Messrs Reid and Gray produce a very high-grade range of agricultual implements, and machines, which are widely used not only : n Otago and Southland, but in the whole of.Hhe northern districts as well. The farmers of New' Zealand almost invariably stipulate that their requirements must be met by the best cliiss of articles available, and the firm owes its success to the fact that it has at all times adapted itself to local conditions. While the fact that prices rose enormously during the war and gave the firm a temporary set-back, the business is now rapidly regaining its previous volume, and at the present time ; t js being found impossible to cope with all the orders that are offering. The introduction within the last few years of the petrol tractor has brought a greatly-increased volume of business to Messrs Reid and Gray, who have designed a special type of plough to work in con-

junction with this vehicle. Prior to its introduction the standard plough was one of three furrows, but four, five, and even six-furrow ploughs are now being made, all of which, along with the tractor, are capable of operation by one man.

VALUABLE INDUSTRY AT GREEN ISLAND.

The Otago Iron Boiling Mills, which are situated at Bucnside, are a valuable asset to this provincial district, inasmuch as they convert scrap-iron into bar iron of excellent quality—a work which had not previously been done in the dominion. Prior to the commencement of this industry in 1888, the scrap-iron was exported, but this company now turns out a product which for tensile strength is held to be equal to English iron. The works, which were established by Messrs Smellie Bros, at Green Island, represent one only 0 f th e many industries located in this important manufacturing suburb of Dunedin. The Otago Iron Rolling Mills provide employment, for between 70 and 80 men, and the output of iron and steel annually amounts to about 3000 tons, the whole of which goes into consumption in the local market and in other parts of the dominion. About 50 tons of Westport coal are used every week for the furnaces, and 50 tons of lignite for steaming purposes. The rolled iron which is produced is made from scrap-iron collected from all parts of the dominion by the company's.own vessels, the Stella and the Houto, and from as far afield as Australia and New Cajedonia. Steel "billets" for the manufacture of steel are imported from Australia. The machinery installed in the works is of a very up-to-date type, and the conglomerate mass of material that may be seen at any time in the company's yard is worked up with the greatest efficiency into a useful and valuable product, for which a keen demand exists.

For many years New Zealand iron has been extensively used by engineers, blacksmiths, public works contractors, and m the various Government workshops, and it has met with approval on all hands. During the war period great- difficulty was experienced in supplying the mills with raw materials, but the company overcame this difficulty by making shipping arrangements of its own. RANGES AND GRATES. ' EXTENSIVE LOCAL MANUFACTURES. No list of Otago manufactures would be complete without the mention of cooking ranges and stove 3, which are made by three Dunedin firms—Messrs Shacklock and Co., Brinsley and Co., and Bamingham and Co. The ranges made by all of these firms aro used extensively throughout the provincial district,' and Messrs Shacklock and Co.'s Orion range is a household word throughout New Zealand, the name being seen upon the manifest of practically every outward coastal steamer. Research and experiment have enabled the makers to supply a range that will give the most satisfactory results in the varying conditions of the dominion, where the fuel consists of wood, low-grade lignites, and the hard coal of the West Coast. Every detail of construction has been carefully thought out and scientifically applied by expert* workmen; all proved practical contrivances for economy, utility, convenience, and comfort have been applied; the vital, parts of every range are made of cast iron, which »s without equal for heat-retention and durability, and every need is catered for. Ranges are made suitable for the small back-block hut, the modern home, and the large up-to-date hotel or public institution. Stoves for heating offices and workrooms, tailors', and laundry stoves, grates of all descriptiohs, and the many sundries called, for in cast iron all receive attention, and are turned out in large quantity. So successful have these ventures been that 'there is now practically no importation of this class of goods, and employment is given to a .large number of workers in the manufacture and handling of the New Zealand /product.

The firm of Messrs Shacklock and Co., the headquarters of which are in Dunedin, has branch warehouses in Wellington and Auckland, where heavy stocks are carried. In 1911 this firm also turned its attention tothe manufacture of marine oil engines for fishing boats and launches, and a great deal of this class of work is done, the' locally-made engines being in strong demand.

The range-makers of Dunedin are kept going at full pressure throughout the year, aiid it is claimed 'that everything made is sold as soon as it is finished.

Sinoe the Factories and Shops Act was enacted in Victoria in 1885 the number of registered factories has increased from 1949 to 7994, and the total of employees lias grown from 39,506 to 104,242. Plant is being erected in Hobart, Tasmania, for rolling 200 tons of zinc sheets monthly manufactured from Australian ore that previously went largely to Germany.