LOCAL INDUSTRIES AND THE TRUCK QUESTION.

Southland Times, Issue 3295, 11 January 1879, Page 3

LOCAL INDUSTRIES AND THE TRUCK QUESTION.

• -i- -* ; — ' Not only in this immediate district, but in other parts of "the colony, numerous complaints have been made for some time past of the scarcity of 'trucks,, and the; very great inconvenience which in consequence has been inflicted on our industries and shipping. A practical instance of the'cramping effect upun : an '"important local industry, of this inefficiency of the railway department to cope with the traffic, and the positive loss to the proprietors resulting, therefrom, has been brought under our cognisance. For some two, or three weeks past the important manufactory of Messrs' Angus & Co. has had -its productive power, very. seriously crippled from this cause. ' The '~ works ;bf this -firm are situated on the south, side of the Punic Greek, adjacent, to" ~the public gardens, and are of arvery, extensive nature. Within them two irhpbrtant' industries- are carried on, namely, those of breaking stone , and manufacturing bricks,' and with- a view to more fully elucidate the serious nature of the stoppage to work, in both these branches, consequent on the , want of trucks, we may en passant give a short general description of them. ' For some two years past the firm have successfully, carried, on the ..work of stonebreaking. "The initial process is, of course, the procuring of the. stone, from the quarry of the firm at Greenhiils, and for this purpose, and the loading ; of the trucks, which are to convey the stone to the works;' a" gang of fifteen men ai'e at present employed. At the works there are two powerful?, stone-breakers, by Hope,, of Melbourne, and within the huge iron jaws of these ponderous machines, fifty cubic, yards of Greenhills' stone can be pounded to fragments per day; The stone is broken into three different sizes, suitable for various kinds of work, and the machines, which are attended by three men and a boy, are driven by steam. Brickmaking was only commenced .by the firm some two or three months ago. The most recent and improved machinery is employed, and the producing power and compactness of this department forms a striking contrast- to the primitive method of brickmaking in vogue only a r few years ago. Thebrickmaking machine employed is that of Messrs Clayton, Howlett, and Cheeseman, of London, which is fitted with a ; rotary die, and Murray's patent cutting off table. To describe the piodess- popularly; would be to compare it to a large sausage machine, into whichthe material manipulated is fed by an endless band. After the clay has been crushed between rollers a number of revolv- : ing knives within a" circular chamber cut and work it up to a proper consistency, and it is then forced out between the rotary dies at the back in an endless bar on to the cutting table: where by an ingenious mechanical arrangement it is cut into bricks. Thus the processes technically, known as crushing, pugging, and moulding, are performed simultaneously . The machine is adapted for utilising all ordinary kinds of clay, and will make various descriptions of bricks. From 20 to 2i tons o£ clay are required daily to keep it inconstant work, and from this quantity 10,000 to 12,000 bricks can be turned out, though on one occasion when the machine was pressed 1912 were made in a single hour. For the management of the machine 5 men and a boy are required, and the material used is brought from the clay pit of the firm at Waikiwi. In 1 connection -with this " department of the I works there is also an apparatus for pressing , and facing the bricks, and a tile j'-»e and tubular brick machine is. on the ground ready for fitting up. After the bricks are formed by the machine they arc dried in the open air, and then burned in, an open clamp kiln, but it is contemplated by the firm that the trade'will necessitate the erection of a Hoffmann's, kiln, for .the construction of which 200,000 bricks will be required. The advantages of this kiln are that the bricks are burned much better, and the process of burning can be carried on continuously. Such is a brief description of the works in question, and their extensive character is indicative of no little enterprise on the part of - the proprietors. It is to be regretted, however, that this enterprise should be nullified by the unfortunate circumstance to which we alluded at the outset. For the conveyance of the stone from the Greenhills 10 to 12 trucks "per diem are required, and for the carriage of the clay from the "Waikiwi 5 or 6. So deficient, however, has been the supply for some time that the machines have only been able to work part time., and for the past fortnight the brick machine has been laid off work altogether with a view to keep the stonebreakers in operation, but the facilities provided by the railway department have prevented even this. The consequences of this' condition of things are more serious than appear at first sight. The gang at the quarries have to,ac'cumulate the stone instead of despatching it at once, and thus greatly increased labor is entailed by the double handling of the material. Then 'again the men at the works have to be employed in unremunerative. labor, for if only irregular employment -is afforded,them it is difficult to retain their- service's- at all during such, a period as this when there is a brisk demand for workmen. Mr Arthur, the General Manager of Southland railways, has we believe done all in his power to provide the requisite accommodation in the matter of trucks, but the fault lies^in a. positive deficiency, of rolling stock, i It* is imperative that this should be remedied; as it -is all important that everything should be done to foster and develop local industries, for on that depends to no --small degree the continued prosperity and future progress of the colony.