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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Printers, Stationers, Paper Merchants, Etc

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Printers, Stationers, Paper Merchants, Etc.

Including—Account Book Makers; Bookbinders; Booksellers and News Agents; Cardboard Box Makers, Die Sinkers, Electrotypers; Engravers; Lithographers; Paper Makers, Dealers and Merchants; Publishers; Stationers, etc.

Andrews and Co. (Arthur Andrews), Manufacturing Stationers and Bookbinders, 63 Cathedral Square, Christchurch. This firm commenced business in Christchurch in 1891, the premises affording a floor space (if nearly 4000 square feet, which is devoted to the various branches of the business. The firm has all necessary machinery and plant for carrying out a large manufacturing trade. Library binding, school stationery, and the manufacture of account-books of all kinds are special lines, and the material used in the business is largely imported direct from the best makers. The proprietor was born in the Colonies, and was educated and served his time at the trade in Christchurch.

McHarg, Samuel, Bookbinder and Paper Ruler, Worcester Street, Christchurch. Mr. McHarg is a New Zealander, served his time to the trade in Christchurch, and established himself in business in 1893. He undertakes all classes of work and bindings in any style.

Oakey's” Variety Bazaar (Henry Oakey, proprietor), corner of Colombo and Lichfield Streets, Christchurch. Mr. Oakey established this business in 1870, after having resided for five years in Melbourne. His stock consists of fancy lines, including fancy jewellery, all kinds of toys, dolls, and fancy goods, and a large stock of china and glassware. The premises consist of a fine large shop over fifty feet long, with a window frontage of twenty-five feet. As Mr. Oakey is heavily stocked, the public an rely on procuring all goods at his place at the lowest prices.

Simpson And Williams, Limited, Booksellers, Stationers, Publishers, and News Agents, 214 High Street, Christchurch. Established in 1862 by Mr. J. T. Hughes who was succeeded in 1878 by Mr. Alfred Simpson. Mr. J. S. Williams, who had been associated with the business from 1864, joined the firm in 1886 when the style was altered to Simpson and Williams. In the following year Mr. Simpson retired and his son, Mr. E. Y. Simpson, became a partner, the business being incorporated as a limited liability company in 1893, for family reasons. The firm is a direct importer of all lines and holds an immense up-to-date stock of the latest productions. It is agent in Canterbury for Messrs Gordon and Gotch, and for the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and makes a special feature of importing English books and newspapers. As publishers, Messts Simpson and Williams have successfully issued several works.

Smith, John Tippet, Importer, Wholesale Bookseller and Stationer, Wesleyan-Methodist Book Depôt, 211 Cashel Street, Christchurch. Private residence, Gloucester Street, Linwood, Mr. Smith has conducted this business since 1877, when he removed the depôt from Colombo Street, where it was previously located, to the present situation in Cashel Street. He keeps a large and varied stock of school-books and current literature, and is prepared to supply school and public libraries on specially advantageous terms. Mr. Smith is further referred to as a member of the Christchurch City Council.

Weeks, Limited, Horace J., Paper Merchants, Printers, Publishers, Engravers, Art Autographers, and Manufacturing Stationers, Crown Printing Office, 153 Manchester Street, Christchurch. Telepone 217. Bankers, Bank of Australasia. Mr. Weeks'
Mr. H. J. Weeks.

Mr. H. J. Weeks.

flourishing business dates from 1886, when it was commenced in premises in Gloucester Street, and employed only three hands. Within the short period of two years business had progressed so rapidly that larger premises were secured at the corner of High and Manchester Streets. This building in its turn had to be enlarged later on in order to meet the growing requirements of the trade, and it was here that Mr. Weeks added the wholesale stationery department and imported papers and printing trade requisites. The business continued to expand in all departments until the staff of employees numbered about seventy. In 1897 the magnificent structure now occupied was erected specially for Mr. Weeks' fully developed business. It is designed and fitted up with every modern convenience for the trade, and acknowledged to be the finest building in the Colony solely devoted to the general printing trade. The features of the business are striking and unique, and its excellent manufactures in cardboard and leather-board boxes for all trades, tea-packets, cartoons for manufacturing chemists, cordial-makers, and confectioners are special lines sent to all parts of the Colony, and for which Mr. Weeks holds machinery with sole rights. The general lines of the work turned out are:—General printing, newspaper and book publishing, lithography, engraving, photo-engraving, book-binding, account-book making, cardboard, leatherboard, and box manufacturing; also, paperbags, tea-packets, and stationery of all descriptions. The photo-engraving department is second to none in the Colony, while the artistic show-cards turned out have commanded orders from the four leading cities of New Zealand. The handsome premises now occupied are built of brick, and are five stories in height; they were designed by Messrs. Collins and Harman, the wellknown architects, and built by Messrs. D. Scott and Son, in 1898. The ground floor in Manchester Street consists of a large double-fronted shop with plate-glass windows; the offices are on either side of the entrance into the wholesale and retail sale-room. Behind these is the machine-room, which has six printing machines, some of them being of the very latest kind. The entire plant is driven by one of Tangye's best gas-engines, and electric light is run by a Stockport gas-engine. The first floor is used for job-printing and lithographic work, each branch being thoroughly complete. The box-making department is on the second floor, the machinery including Stevenson's patent metal edging box-making machines, whose patent rights Mr. Weeks holds. It may be stated that Stevenson's page 340
Premises of Messrs Horace J. Weeks (Limited).

Premises of Messrs Horace J. Weeks (Limited).

patent boxes have the largest sale of anything of the kind in the world. On the third floor is the paper-bag manufacturing department, which contains a most wonderful machine capable of making complete 150 paper-bags per minute. The bags made on this machine are suitable for confectioners, grocers, drapers, seedsmen, Ironmongers, etc., etc. On this floor also is a very extensive bookbinding and paper-ruling department, with some of the most modern machinery. There is a separate room on this floor for the lithographic artists' department. On the fourth floor is the photo-engraving department which, also, has all the most modern appliances available for the production of high-class work. On the fifth floor are the photographic studios fitted up with electric light, so that process-blocks can be made at any time. One studio is specially arranged for the three-colour photography, the most complete in the colony. Below the ground floor there is a commodious cellar used for the storage of bales and rases of paper. The whole of the floors of the establishment are connected by a lift driven by the engine. There is a separate employees' entrance, which is completely partitioned off from the various floors, and there are complete fire-escapes with communication from every floor to the ground. Mr. Weeks gained a first-class certificate for printing and engraving at the Canterbury Industrial Exhibition held in the year 1896, and he is the printer and publisher of the Cyclopedia of New Zealand, the largest and most complete commercial, historical, social, and descriptive work ever produced in the Colony. It comprises six separate volumes of from 1000 to 1500 illustrated pages each, besides many interim parts in book form circulated amongst subscribers throughout the whole of New Zealand. Mr. Weeks gained his early experience in the printing trade in Auckland, where he was a fellow-worker for some time with Mr. Henry Brett, proprietor of the Auckland “Star,” on the staff of the “New Zealand” Herald.” In the early days of the Thames goldfields, when things were booming, Mr. Weeks was tempted to go there, and in 1875 he went into business in conjunction with another gentleman. Later, Mr. Weeks was induced to settle in Canterbury. Since this article was originally published, Mr. Weeks has converted his business into a Limited Company, but he still controls it as Managing Director. The business continues to expand, especially in the bookbinding and process-engraving branches, and the staff has increased to over 100 hands. The Company has established for itself a reputation for fine art designing and printing, particularly in the process, half-tone and three-colour work, and the most beautiful Coronation cards issued in June, 1902, came from its establishment. E. Cramp and Co.'s business page 341 has been taken over, and ticket-writing for all trades is carried on, under a capable manager, at Mr. Cramp's former premises, 160 Tuam Street, Christchurch.
Interior of Box Making Department (H. J. Weeks, Ltd.)

Interior of Box Making Department (H. J. Weeks, Ltd.)

Wise, H., And Co (Henry Arthur Wise and George Wise), Publishers, Australian Mutual Provident Society Buildings, Cathedral Square, Christchurch. Canterbury representative, Mr. J. G. Crompton. Head Office, Princes Street, Dunedin. Full particulars of this large firm appear in the Otago volume of the Cyclopedia.

Mr. James Gorton Crompton, Representative of Wise's Directories in Canterbury, is a Lancashire man. He was born in Liverpool in 1833, was educated in Cheshire and brought up to mercantile life. After some years he learned land surveying and farming, and in 1852, came out to Australia per ship “Albatross,” and two years later returned Home via South America. Taking up a large farm in Cumberland, an old homestead known as Calthwaite Hall, he remained there for three years, and subsequently travelled in Scotland as the representative of a Sheffield firm for two years. Arriving in Otago in 1861, at the time of the Gabriel's Gully “rush,” Mr. Crompton resided for thirty years in that provincial district, following gold-buying for several of the banks, and also storekeeping. He followed the various “rushes” in Otago. Removing to Christchurch in 1891, Mr. Crompton has represented Messrs. Wise and Co. since that date. He was married in 1855, in Montrose, Scotland, and has one son and two daughters.