The F. Jones Tannery Company, Limited.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11828, 27 November 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

The F. Jones Tannery Company, Limited.

A GROWING INSTITUTION*

A good deal of misconception exists as to the value of certain colonially made leathers. " It is the contention of some people that leather cannot be produced in New Zealand of the quality of the best English. If it were said that it is not usually so good it would be correct, but ie is not true to suppose that the colonial tanner is incapable of manufacturing up to the Borne staodird. It is merely a question of dtuutiou of treatment, aud of the substantial encouragement given by boot or harness-makers. Iv the case of tho F. Jones Tannery Company the manufac turer, Mr F. Jones, has for years demonstrated his ability in producing a leather that some New Zealand buyers evan will pay up to the price of the English. TJn fortunately suoh examples are i'ew and fax between, and it is purely for want of support that the general class of leabhers turned out by experienced tanaers is of a lower standard. No New Zealand manufacturers bear a better reputation for their products iiun the F. Jones Tannery Company, a circumstance that is due to the expert knowledge of his business of Mr Jones, and tha excellent plant that is now installed. The expansion of their works during recent years has bden remarkable when it is remembered that numbers of similar institutions throughout the colony have had to close their doors or limit thair operations. Big additions are now being made by the Company, which will make the tannery the equal of aay in New Zealand.

The tannery was established on .Frank-ley-road some twenty-five years ago, and was purchased by Mr F. Jones and Mr Christmas under the name of Christmas and Company nineteen years ago. Thi, partnership, howev^*, was soon dissolved and the business was carried on by Mr Jones until.three years ago, when Mt McAllum became a partner, and the firm took the form of a limited liability com pany. For years a steady .trade was conducted, Mr Jones, the practical man, producing a good leather and having a regular demand for it. He weir understood his work, for after a thorough training in Kidderminster and Walsall at Home he studied its conditions in the United States, taking a special interest in anything that would help him to superior production. After his arrival in New Zealand, twenty-seven years ago, ha became connected with Messrs Gittos and Co., of Auckland, and re raained with them for nearly eight years. By that time he waa thoroughly versed in the methods of tiuniug in tue colony, and purchased the present business. Mr Jones was so thoroughly interested in the object of producing good leathers that he made strennnus efforts to widely push the business. When Mr McAllum entered the' partnership, however, he relieved Mr Jones of the commercial department and devoted himself sedulously to acquainting the trade with tho excellence of the company's product, and extending its sale. The result has been most encouraging, and to-day local leathers are sold widely as far north as Auckland and south as Christen urch, throughout the whole of which Mr Me Allum periodically visits the priacipil towns to call on customer?. This expansion has necessitated the installation of a larger plant, which has increased by leaps and bounds. Three or four yeaas ago the tannery was capable of producing only about 15 hides a week. Then th^ capacity was increased to 30, then to 50, and -now it reaches 150, while as soon as new water pitj, now in course of construction; are completed, the capacity will be 200 hides per weok. No farther detail is needed to show, tho big developments that have taken place. Ths tannery grounds occupy somo eight acres, and upon them stand six buildings including offices, store room, and the special departments of manufacture. The situation is a picturesque one, being, in a green valley with a stream of water in the centre. This stream drives two water-wheels of eight h.p. each, andgives a constant supply of water for manufacturing and cleansing purposes. In Jche midst of tho pits and the tan yard stan'is a tall tree fern, it* Jarge fronds projecting over the pits. The present hide shed holds 2000 hides, with a temporary -shed holding 1000 hides, but it in the intention of tho Company to concentrate this department at the extreme end of the tannery, and within easy reach of the pits. New water pits are also being constructed which will bring the number up to sixty five, eaoh pit being served, l»y a channel of water. It may be instructive to say something of the process, and in the description some idea may be formed of the extreme care taken by the company to produce a superior leather. From the shed the hides are carried into the lime pits, and after being immersed for a fortnight are unhaired, fleshed, and j scudded in a detached open building, i From here .the hides that are intended for sole leather are put on to a trolley, which carries them to other pits, while the hides that aie designed for harness leather and kips are baited, after which they are takon to the tan-yard adjbiniag and put through the tanning hark. Connecting the two departments is a tramway with turntables, which lead tojoth^r tramways running between the tan-pits. The first pit 3 are called " hanger 3," ihe hides being place . on rods fitted into a. frame at the s'des. Connected with this frame is an agitator, which give 3 the hides an up and down motion, and keeps the constituents o" the bark liquor from precipitating. After a week or ten days. in the hangers tho hides are put into " handlers," where they are moved every day for a week or a fortnight. Sole and harness leather is laid away for a month with a. layer of bark between each hido, and is then drawn up and laid away again with new bark and froßh liquor. Thig goes ori each month for nix months for ordinary leather, and ior twelve months for special orders which are seat the co»~

pany. In addition to the other pits in .the tan-yard are two "tumblers," capable of treating 20D crilf-skiua at a time, these being kept in moticn by paddles, I receiving motive powsr from thu waterwheels. Ths idea i 3 that tho liquor is thus more rapidly driven into the hide, the proces3 being reduced to a mini.uum of niuo days, with a preferential mvximurn of six weeks. To return agiin to ths sole leathar, on leaving the tan-yard it is taken to tho drying shed, hung on rods, "samm'd," rollej, dried, rolled a second time, and folded up when completely dried and 1 placed in bales. The kip and harness ; leather is taken to the machine room I where the firm have lately installed a new band knife splitting machine, the only one of its kind this sido of the line and of the latest pattern. Its advatifcages are not so much in the leather manipulating portion us in the mechanical construction, being so served with a bicycle chain that it is more simple and compact and easier tended. A steam engmo of 8 h.p., with a boiler of 8 h.p., works the knife spliiter, owing to its greater regularity of movement than th 3 water-wheel, ana it is of interest to add that when putting the machine in place the expert, who had extensive experience all over the world paid a high compliment to the leather belting. This was made in the tannery, and the expert declared that wheroas he invariably found it necessary to cut and tighten new belting for these machines two and three times a day, with the local prodect it was not necessary at all, and the same belting has run for six months without getting slack. Tbe 'object of the splitting machine — a magnificent example of its kind — is to reduce tho size of the leather to the particular substance required by the makers-up, whether light, medium, or heavp kip.* It is fitted underneath with indiarubber and a sectional brass roller, and when sides are unevpn in thickness this bottom roller gives to the inequalities, and the top is gauged by a band knife and a rigid roller, which is undoubtedly uniform from one end to ths other. From the splitting room tho hides are taken to a steam closet, and there softened to the desired state of fioxibility, after which they are thrown into a large drum 7£t 6ra in diameter, and the " dubbing " is effected to reader waterproof the kip and harness leather. The next stage is the currier's shop, ' where a solid block of kauri, lift x sft ia dimensions and throe inches thick, makes a splendid table. On this the* leather is 1 placed, and is treated by tha - " glasses," I '' slickers," and"stoae3" to give it a uoifor.n surface. It is there " ra-stuffied " and hung up to dry, and subsequently placed on the table a second. time, so that the greasa may ba slicked off. The kip is whitened with a whitening slicker, and the nap is removed to leave a clean surface taat will take the black. Ifc is than grained up, and repiaco'loa the table>,. .tad blocked. This is effected by a process peculiarly Mr Joae's«own. and is absolutely indelible. When the colouring is completed the leather is huag up, onsticks, and. after drying, is "sinutfced." aad " sized," which are tho finishing procusses. • As already stated, tha F. Jones Tanaery Company, Limited, hare made a re-? putation for their leathers, Mr Jones proving himself as export; a manufacturer probably as any in the colonies. A, .special demand is made for their harness - leather, which seems to have strong recommendations over other makes. Their '• black sole " is reputed to be admirably . adapted for making cart-saddles, for lining tugs, and for *' savea." It is so firm ' that the saddles retain their appearance for years, and there is no necessity for putting on black leather stuffing that is so often resorted to. It has been frequently remarked by saddlers iv favour of - the company's, product that when cutting it they find it runs more even in substance and more regular from the butt up to the - 3houlder.' This is . a matter that is determined by the treatment, and improves the value of the material for .the manufacture of traces (requiring no packing), and other, harness. Indeed they declare that this ■ leather is so much better than the average that an 18Sb side of the Jones and Company's manu£afcfcure is equal to 211bs of -other tanners. The consequence is that the company have a big demand in many parts for harness leather, finding it difficult to meet orders ■ coming in for weeks ahead. It includes black and brown harness leather, bridle, . stirrup, legging, bags, etc. Th'en there is also a large sale for bootmakers' leather, • Mr Jon^s having customers distances - away, whom he has been serving for many a year. It is in this department that the company gets pricea equal to the English, and the varieties run to all the requirements of manufacturers. , It is a v feather in the cap " of New Plymouth . that it has a tannery that sells right ia the centre of large tanneries ia Auckland, . Wellington and Christchurch, which can : manufacture ths highest quality of' leather produced ia New Zealand.. Altogether some fourteen hands are .employed, bat the works are so .managed in laboursaving facilities that the number does not convey a full idea of the. size of the output. Probably not half a dozen residents of New Plymouth have any conception of the extent of the F. Jones' Tannery Company's works, nor of the encouraging developments and extensions : that have taken place within the last two or three \ears. The institution is a credit to the province.