W. Bates, Junior's, Factory.

This is situated on a half-acre section fronting Lower High-street, opposite the Roman Catholic Convent and grounds.

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Mr. Bates commenced business in Christchurch about ten years ago, on premises in Lichfield-street, where he continued till, finding his business largely increasing, he built his present commodious workshops, and removed to them. They consist of a spacious two-storey factory, large timber yards and sheds for stacking and seasoning timber, and a showroom 60 feet by 20 feet. He confines himself to frame-making, for drawing-room, dining-room, and library furniture, and his business is entirely wholesale and export, supplying the trade and taking no retail customers.

The factory is, as we have said, a two-storey one, 66 feet by 30 feet, fitted up with all the latest improved steam machinery of American and English make. On the ground floor the sawing, planing, turning, and shaping is done. Here there is one circular saw bench, one planing machine (Glason, Philadelphia), four turning lathes, one hand saw (Rogers), with safety guard, one dowling machine and one shaping machine (Rogers). The various portions of the different kinds of chairs and couch frames are here roughly formed and made ready for the hands of the carver and the finisher. Upstairs the machinery includes two circular saws, one boring machine (Fay's), and a fret-work saw from Blackadder, of Dunedin, one of the latest improved machines for doing the inside carved work seen on chairs and couches, fitted with self-acting bellows which blow the saw-dust away. We are informed that it is, if not the only one in the colony, at all events nearly the only one. The machinery is worked by one of Richards and Watt's 6 h.p. vertical steam engines, local coal being used for fuel. From the engine steam pipes are carried all over the building, keeping the workshops at an even temperature and facilitating the thorough drying of the woods. The steam is also utilised in various ways, such as heating the glue kettles, &c. The timbers used are principally New Zealand black wood, kauri, rimu, &c., besides walnuts, cedars, and Australian black wood. Large quantities of these are kept in stock, none being used till it has lain at least twelve months in the sheds. We should mention that the engine room is used for the purpose of drying various parts of frames.

Considerable trouble and expense is incurred in procuring the most tasteful designs for furniture. At present the styles most enquired for are Queen Anne, Early English, Jacobite, and Chippendale.

In all Mr. Bates employs 20 skilled hands, two of them being carvers specially engaged in England for the factory.