KENNINGTON

Southland Times, Issue 23308, 18 September 1937, Page 19

KENNINGTON

WOOL SCOURING WORKS

An up-to-date improvement at the local wool scouring works has recently been installed in the shape of a wool scouring and washing machine. The works now have a modern plant comprising a wool scour washer, hot air drier and power press. The firm df J. Matheson and Co., has been established some 49 years in the district and expects to celebrate its 50 years jubilee next year. When the fellmongery was first started the work was all done by hand. The wool, after being sorted into different lots, was put through a hand scour and wash of running water and worked with a hand fork. From this it was forked into a hydro extractor, which driven by steam, extracted the moisture from the wool. It was then trolleyed to an open shed and spread on the floor, being turned every four hours and after, if the weather was suitable, laid out on wool sheets on the green to complete the drying before being baled. , The new machinery now installed does away with all the manual labour required in the old system. The wool is automatically fed into the scouring machine which consists of three bowls, the first being 24ft long and containing a prepared liquor, the second 18ft long also containing a lighter liquor and the third 18 ft long containing a cold rinse. The wool is worked through each bowl by moving forks and as the wool reaches the end of each bowl it passes through a set of mangles. On coming out of the last bowl it is fed into the hot air drier. A continuous stream _ of water is necessary for the scouring machine and this is pumped from the river close by by a 3in pump into large tanks. On passing through the hot air drier the wool is elevated to the top floor. Here it is stacked. The full length of the whole plant is 160 ft and it is capable of treating about 100 bales of greasy wool a week against the old output of 55 bales a week. From the top floor the wool is delivered down a shute, when required, for baling with the power press, a 10 h.p. motor driving a rotating drum which winds a wire rope attached to the ram of the press. When the bales are sewn up and branded they are ready for export. EUCHRE AND DANCE The final of the series of euchre and dance evenings tun by the Women’s Lodge and the Women’s Institute was held recently. The prizes for the evening were won by Mrs Sampson and Mr A. Snodgrass. Consolation prizes were won by Miss Bartlett and Mr G. Burgess. The aggregate prizes for the season were won by Mrs L. Burgess and Mr S. Cloughley. During the evening the president of the Women’s Institute on behalf of those present, asked Mrs H. Mills and Mr B. Dawson to accept a small gift in appreciation of their services in supplying the music for the dances during the season. PRESENTATIONS Recently the employees of J. Matheson and Co. presented Mr S. Matheson with a travelling fug at an evening held at the residence of Mr J. Alexander. Mr and Mrs G. Matheson left recently for a trip to the Islands. The opportunity was also taken by the firm to make a presentation to three old members of their staff, Messrs G. Henderson, R. McLew and D. Miller, who recently left the firm.