Honnor .and Clark.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11828, 27 November 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

Honnor .and Clark.

COACHBUILDERS.

The English visitor to New Plymouth, observing the excellent vehicles in the streets, hardly believes that most of ♦.hem were made locally. Unless he is much-travelled he cannot understand how people living at the other end of the globe in a small colony can manufacture articles as good as can bo done in many cities at Home. He takes no consideration of the manufacturing genius of his race, or of the substantial encourage ment afforded to coachbu'lders in a country of producers. Where there are many farms there are many vehicles, the thriving producer finding some means of conveyance indispensable, while he also has a weakness for good buggies or carts. Not only the farn»ers, but the business people and frequently mechanics have their carriages. It therefore comes about that there i*b a big manufacturing trade in such pros perous colonies as New Zealand for carriagebuilders, and this fact has been appreciated by Messrs Honnor and Clark m New Plymouth. In their time the) have constructed hundreds ©f vehicles oi all kinds, and their works are so comprehensive that they can as readily produce a coach or waggon as a dog cart. Their success has been commensurate with their enterprise, and they have always evinced readiness to consider their customers and ability in producing •a good article. The firm was established rihoufc twenty years ago by Messrs Honnor and Clark, and from the two partners only engaged at first the business has grown to require fif teeen hands regularly. About 1892 Mr James Bi-ucp joined them, and while the three gentle men were together, the years of Taranaki's greatest expansion, the trade increased extensively. In February, 1900. Mr Clark died, and Messrs Honnor and Brrce now carry on the business, but still under the old name. The original location was in tho premises lately relinquished by the firm in Devon-street. Messrs Honnor and Clark built their own factory, merely 20ft by 40ft, themselves, and found it ample for their re-, quirements for some time. In course of years the orders became more considerable, and they purchased the land with a 80ffc frontage to Devon-street and 30ft to Liardet street. They ex tended their premises, but even these the present firm are improving upon. They are pulling down their Devon-street workshops and are erecting stores in j their places, while they are erecting more imposing buildings for themselves in Liardet-street. These latter are nearing completion, some parts of them being already utilised. The new buildings are two-storey high, and as showing the growth of tho firm it is worth detailing that in lieu of workshops 20 x4O feet originally used they will now have a showroom on the ground floor of the new building 35x2L feet in dimensions, a workshop 75x21 feet, a storeroom or shed 35 x 21 feet, with a lean-to blacksmith's shop, 12 x 20ft., blacksmith's shop at the rear 43 x 22 ft, and upstairs a paint shop 63 x 30 feet, a finishing-room 30 x 20 feet, and a second storeroom. Underneath is a cellar for storing seasoning timber — a very important function as also is the selection for the manufacture of good vehicles. The paint shop is lighted with two of Wade's patent skylights, and the (iniahing-room is matchlined, lit with a Wadejs skylight besides three ordinary windows, and closed for duat. laoladed in the plant arc a circular

saw, band saw, boxiug machine, and drills —driven by waterpower— while they intend to put down before the p-esent alterations are complete an up-to-date tyring plant. ' . - „ „ From tho time of its inception tho firm h;»s borne an excellent reputation for lirst-cliu-a work, and it has been the object of the proprietors to produce the best of everything and in thevvery superiority of their vehicles depend on future growth, As indicated, they manufacture all kinds of conveyances —waggons and drays, waggonettes and drags, coaches and buggies, dogcarts and gigs, milk waggons and carts, and almost anything.for which there is a- demand. Throughout Taranaki may be seen examples of their workmanship, and all recommending themselves. Many of their waggons, drays, • and milk carts are to be found on the farms, as well as I their buggies and light carts. The producers are' among their best supporters. Then, on fhe .coach roads, their coaches^ are to be s.een in several places? ; they are doing-praotically all of this clasd of construction in. the district, and only last winter they finished .a mail coach for Stratford. Their drags are as good as their lighter work, aud all are made of the best material, while the most careful work is put in. It has been their object to serve the province with whatever .is wanted in the line. Besides construction, they are busily engaged in repairing. \n every way their business performs a valuable function in a district such as this, and the recent improvements are imple evidence of its progressive condi-. ' tion. Mr Clark is a native of Bury St Edmonds, England, and has been a rW dent of New Plymouth since 1874, while v[r Bruce, who was born in. Ca'thness. Scotland, came here in 1879, and was •jonnected with the harbour works foi several years.