GLASS-MAKING INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19197, 13 June 1924, Page 8

GLASS-MAKING INDUSTRY.

PROSPECTS IX NEW ZEALAND. COMPANY MANAGER’S VIEWS. (From Ode Own Corißespondknt.) AUCKLAND. June 12. Interesting details in regard to the glassmaking industry of Australia and New Zealand were supplied by Mr W ill bun J. Smith (managing director of the Australian Glass Manufacturers’. Company), who was a through passenger in the Makura. Speaking of the company’s New Zealand branch at Penrose, Mr Smith said it lost substantially during its last financial year notwithstanding the large increase in the •volume of trade. Tire company was working at a- disadvantage, as it was compelled to make two different coloured glasses intermittently out of one furnace. The change over, which occupied two to three weeks, upset the continuity of operations, causing both loss and Inconvenience to the company’s customers and the company as ■well. At present the company was manufacturing large quantities of bottles at Sydney and shipping them to Auckland and other dominion ports owing to the onefurnace difficulty, which could be overcome by the erection of another unit. The company was prepared immediately to do that at a substantial cost, provided the New Zealand Government imposed a reasonable duty on imported bottles, and that he believed that the Government would readily do so when the present anomalous condition was mads evident to it. In ordinary trade two shades of glass were required, amber and pale green. Owing to the insufficient tariff the company did not obtain enough orders to warrant the erection of a second furnace at Penrose, and thus had to use its one furnace for both colours The company, Mr s>mith thought, had established its contention that glass bottles could be successfully .manufactured in Now Zealand.