Local Industries

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 1, 4 November 1893, Page 9

Local Industries

Light is one of the principal elements of civilization, and in dealing -with the local industries of New Zealand, it is but natural that those industries which contribute to desirable effects should be accorded a premier place. Candles, although now, to a great extent, in the larger centres of population, superseded by gas and electricity, are still used in enormous quantities throughout New Zealand, and many a pleasant and well-remembered moment, whether it be employed in a hurried good-bye or in perusing the concluding chapter of an absorbing tale, is enjoyed by candle light after the electric light has faded and the gas been cut off at the meter. Few people understand the details connected with the manufacture of candles, and a brief description will in all probability prove of interest. The New Zealand Candle Company has only been in existence for a short time, and has only commenced manufacturing candles during the last fortnight or three weeks. It is situated at Kaiwarra, and is under the management of Mr. W. Lucas, whose picture is published at the head of this article. The Company came into existence mainly through the efforts of Mr. Newton, proprietor of the Kaiwarra Soap'Works, of which we will have something to say in a future issue. Mr. Newton, who is at present Secretary, floated the company, and immediately on becoming satisfied that the venture would be a success, communicated with Mr. Lucas, who took an interest in the business, and accepted the management. A fitter man could hardly have been chosen, as he has had an

exceptional experience at “Home*’ and on the Continent, as well as in Australia, where he was for some time oonneoted with Messrs Kitchen & Co., of Melbourne. On our repreantative explaining his errand to Mr. Luoas, he was most courteously received by that gentleman, and an offer at onoe made to eonduot him over the premises. The first room visited was a large stor age apartment, where the cases are kept previous to shipping and as our representative gazed at them stacked up in dozens and grosses, he mentally reflected that there was enough latent illumination in that one room to stand off any prospective total eclipse that New Zealand might run against in the next twenty years. In reply to a request that the prooess might be followed from its incipient stage, the visitor was taken to the receiving yard. Here the tallow, which, by the way, is only of the best beef and mutton quality; in order to obviate the necessity of clarifying, is received in large casks, from whioh it is emptied into a shoot and passed into massive iron boilers; these boilers ore heated by means of steam coils, and are capable of holding between one and two tons apioce, and of being emptied every half-hour. After the tallow has been roducod to a liquid state, it passes into nnothor receptacle from which it is forced by means of a mechanical blower through pipes to a distance of 20ft., into the large receiving vats, which hold from threo to five tons. The liquid is allowed to rest there for soveral hours, and is then drawn off into an acidifying vat, where it is treated with chemicals, and remains until the acidification is complete, when it is run into a lower vat, whore it is washed by means of an open steam coil until the glycerine is liberated. The liquid is now no more tallow, but what is technically known as stearine, and, after further washing, is pumped into an immense rectangular copper-lined vessol, whoro it is subjected to a high temperature for some time; it is then run into a gigantic still, where it is distilled by super-heatod steam into copper condensers, from which it runs freely into receiving vessels. The liquid is now as clear as water, and can be at once moulded or further treated for grading. If the latter, it is drawn off into shallow pans, allowed to cool, and then subjected to hydraulic pressure, until all tracos of oil are pressed, out, leaving the cake pure and dry, when it is re-melted and passed on to the moulding-room. The latter room is whero tho final stage of the process is completed. At the New Zealand Company’s works it is a large airy compartment, fitted with somo ten or twelve moulding machines. These machines are worked by hand, and each one contains 96 candle moulds, and a corres ponding number of spools at the bottom, provided with coils of wick. The moulds are threaded with the wicks, and then the moulten stearine is poured into them. It is artificially cooled by the circulation of water, the ends are then planed off, and presto ! by a quick mechanical action 96 perfect candles are shot into view. Eight dozen con be moulded every twenty minutes by each machine. They are then packed up by a score or so of girls into pound packets, placed in cases, and removed to tho store-room. The Company is now manufacturing three brands, one a superfine wax, equal to any imported article.