A VALUABLE LOCAL INDUSTRY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9701, 4 November 1909, Page 6

A VALUABLE LOCAL INDUSTRY.

DONALD AND SONS. LTD

An elaborate sixteen-page catalogue has just been issued by Messrs Donald and Sons. Ltd., illustrating aud describing their wool-presses, wirestrainers, lifting jacks, aud other Hues which they manufacture. A perusal of this catalogue aud a visit to the factory aud offices iv Perrystreet impresses one with the rapid growth of the firm aud the value of such an industry to Mastertou. During last week alone came in from Argentine aud Uruguay for over £500 worth of wire-straiuers, aud from South Africa for £240 worth of wire strainers and £IS>O worth ot wool-presses; and the week previous some £400 worth of strainers were sent to various parts of Australia. For the mouth of October alone over eighty wool-presses were sent to various parts of New Zealaud from the Mastertou factory. This represents a considerable amount of foreign capital coining iuto aud being distributed in this town.

The firm also have works in Sydney, which are somewhat larger than the local oues, and which are being conducted ou similar lines. The Sydney premises were erected chiefly for the manufacture of wool-presses, as the duty luto the Commonwealth was so high—some thirty-five per cent.—that it was found impossible to manufacture these here and ship them over aud successfully compete with the other makers in Australia. It was the intention to manufacture all wire-strainers in Mastercou, and ship the complete machines to Australia, but a duty of thirty per cent, which the Commonwealth Customs authorities have imposed on these goods within the last few days will naturally form an effective bar to this procedure. Ou the other hand, wirestraiuers can be imported into New Zealaud free of duty, and this tends to induce such concerns as Donald aud Sous. Ltd., to transfer their whole works to Australia, for instance, aud send their goods over here from there. What Donald and Sons would like to see is the imposition of a high duty in the Dominion against the importation of foreiguniade wire-strainers. There is no doubt New Zealand manufacturers are eutitled to this A representative of Donald and Sous was recently iv America establishing their patents in that country, and while there he purchased some machinery winch will be the first of its kind' to be introduced iuto New Zealand. These machines are automatic rivettors, aud are to be used to take the place of the large amount of hand rivettiug which has to be done at present. It is a carious fact that .Argentine farmers will not have their wirestiaiuers covered with ordinary p;iiut, but require them to bs nickel-plated. To suit these people, Donald aud Sons have installed the largest nickel-plat-ing plant in the Dominion, aud this is used exclusively for their own requirements The firm are pioueers in the woolpress, lifting-jacK and wire-strainer industries, their patents covering these lines extending back over thirty years. Besides their own patents, they handle machinery of various descriptions, the main lines of which are Wm. Cooper aud Nephews' sheepshearing machinery aud Fairbanks, Morse and Co. 's oil and gas engines.

The catalogue referred to was printed at the Wairarapa Daily Times jobbing department, aud Messrs Donald and Sous request us to state that they consider it the best production they have ever iiad executed for them. They prefer the quality of the work turned out at the Daily Times to anything they have ever had done either elsewhere iv New Zealand, Australia or America. The cata-

logues will be posted to all farmers in New Zealand, and several thousand have also been scut to Australia. Argentine and South Africa for distribution iv those countries.