WANGANUI INDUSTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 197, 23 August 1935, Page 6

WANGANUI INDUSTRY

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TOURS INTEREST IN LOCAL ACTIVITY « YESTERDAY’S VISIT TO AEAMOIfo. Shortly before 10 o’clock yesterday morning a procession of cars left the city and headed in the direction of ArainJho. The ears contained members of the AVanganui Chamber (Pf Commerce who were on the second of their weekly visits to local industries. The first tour was made last week when the chemical works at Aramoho and the woollen mills in the same locality were inspected Yeste/day the party visited the premises of the Casein Company, Ltd., Whitlock and

Sons’.pickle factory and the AVanganui Glass Company’s Keith Street works. The chamber intends to promote a similar series of visits each Thursday morning, until the whole of the city’s industries have been covered. The visit to the casein works proved interesting and instructive. Casein is a useful product which is used in the making of an almost incalculable number of articles, though principally fancy goods, imitation ivory and tortoise shell. A large quantity of the local product is sent overseas each yeat. Much of it finds its way to Germany and Japan, while a portion is also senr to England. Casein is manufactured from skint milk. Rennet is added to the milk base, and the curd thus formed is compressed and dried in huge When first treated it appears in thousands of small, crumbfy pieces. This curd assumes a different appearance after it has been crushed and when ready to leave the factory is in the form of a fine powder. Before being bagged casein is further crushed and cleaned. Owing to the reason being a month or two hence, the casein works yesterday did not present the appearance that they will when the dairy herds are giving a large supply of skimmed milk each day. In the summer months the factory is working at top speed. The visit to the pickle factory was also of an interesting nature and in spite of the fact that this is the ofl‘ season when there arc few raw

materials coming in, there was considerable activity. Thousands of bottles containing sauce and other condiments were being labelled and packed prior to being sent north, south, east and west. As is typical with other products manufactured in AVanganui, sauce, pickles and chutney are used all over the Dominion. Mirrors of all sorts, shapes and sizes

were being manufactured at the AVanganui Glass Company’s Keith Street premises. It is interesting to watch the various bevelling processes which were being carried out by the staff. There are dozens of patterns to choose from and the glass must irst of all be cut from the selected pattern before being bevelled on flat, round wheels on which running water is being continually poured. The first wheel is of steel and as the bevelling process becomes finer wheels with softer surfaces are required. These vary from sandstone to willow wood. The final wheel used is for polishing and is made of solid felt.

Before passing into the silvering room, the glass receives its final polishing treatment. The sheets of glass, whether they be large or small, are laid on a flat surface and treated individually. This final treatment removes all the scratches which are ununable to be taken out by means or the revolving wheels and prepares the glass for silvering. After the bevelling has been completed the glass is

silvered with two coats of solution. This is poured on the glass from a jug and by levelling the glass an even distribution of the silver is ensured. After the silver has become fixed the mirror is varnished on the back and a final coat of red paint completes the article. Alirrors and leadlight work are sent from AVanganui to all parts of New Zealand. The leadlight work is being done in the Maria Place prern-

Alr. A. 8. Burgess, chairman of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce, thanked the proprietors in each case for the courtesy and attention accorded the party. He assured them that the chamber was anxious to know what was being done by way of industry in its own city. This was with a view to taking an interest in the various activities and in so doing being of assistance to the manufacturers whenever possible. He assured them that if ever they required tho assistance of the Chamber of Commerce it would be readily given.