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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 23

Other Industries

page 87

Other Industries.

The manufacture of soap has been attended with success in the colony, and has fairly driven out the imported article, except in fancy kinds. Messrs. Kitchen and Son and Messrs. McLeod are, I believe, the largest manufacturers in the colony; and the exhibits of the former firm at the Melbourne, Christchurch, and New Zealand Industrial Exhibition have excited universal admiration. The same outlet for production over home demand is to be found, as for other manufactures, by looking after new markets, as pointed out in the section on trade and shipping. It is estimated that the value of the soap and candles produced in the colony is about £120,000. In 1884 candles to the value of £74,452 were imported, at a duty of l½d. per pound. The value of common soap imported was £1,836, and of fancy soap, £3,696. We are hardly likely to reduce the quantity of imported fancy soap materially, because those who use toilet soaps will generally pay large prices for special brands, such as Pears, Rimmel's and other celebrated makers. With the manufacture of soap and candles is connected the manufacture of sulphuric acid and artificial manures. One by-product of the candle industry finds a use and a ready market in the woollen factories engaged in making tweed, blankets, hosiery, &c., taking the place of the expensive oil of Gallipoli; while the fatty acids from these factories is reconverted into stearine, fit for soap-and candle-making. A further outcome from sulphuric acid and tallow might be the manufacture of glycerine, with its possibilities in relation to dynamite, gas-meters, paper, ink, leather, &c. The raw material for the manufacture of sulphuric acid is plentiful within the colony, yet it is at present brought from Victoria, though the value of the whole import for 1884 only amounts to £157, and it is admitted free of duty. The plant for its manufacture is said to be very expensive, and at present it appears wisest to import it. The question put to Mr. McLeod, to this effect, "Is there anything which can be done by amendment of the law which would in any way further your trade?" was answered, "I think not." Mr. Kitchen's evidence before the Royal Commission of 1880 was that the candle duty should remain as it is.

Biscuits.—The total value of plain and fancy biscuits imported in 1884 was £1,000, so that it may fairly be said we page 88 make our own biscuits. We also exported, during the same-year, five thousand pounds' worth, chiefly to Fiji and South Sea Islands.

Beer.—We ought to do a larger export trade in beer than we do; the climate and water of the colony is specially favourable to brewing, and our brewers can turn out an article equal to any beer in the world. That they do not do so always, but rather turn their attention to brewing cheap "swipes," is the fault of the conditions under which they brew. In 1881 we exported 5,349 gallons of colonial draught ale, worth £535, and a very small quantity of bottled beer. In that year we imported bottled beer to the value of .£80,715, at a duty of 1s. 6d. per gallon, and beer in bulk to the value of £4,701, at a duty of 1s. 3d. per gallon. The duty on colonial beer is 3d. per gallon. Surely this must be an exception to what protective duties would do. Yet the duty is not looked upon by the Customs as a protective duty; for, if it had a prohibitive effect, it would either have to be reduced for fiscal purposes, or a corresponding increase placed upon colonial beer. There are 100 breweries and thirty-four separate malt-houses in the colony, employing about six hundred men, and producing five million gallons of beer annually. The hop-growing industry is chiefly centred in Nelson and Marlborough, and a goodly quantity is grown—how much exactly it is impossible to say, but the value of the hops imported in 1884 was £5,081; in the year before it was £18,138, a very satisfactory decrease. We exported in 1883 3,985cwt. of hops, worth £62,861; in 1882, 704cwt., worth £11,049.

Confectionery is largely made in the colony, and fully two-thirds of the total consumed may be said to be of colonial manufacture. In ten years the import of confectionery decreased from £19,178 to £10,190; and this in the face of a largely-increased population, and without the slightest ground for supposing that the "sweet-tooth" of childhood, and of many grown persons, has lost its keenness. In 1844 the value of confectionery imported was £9,845, against £10,190 for 1883. The duty is 15 per cent, ad valorem.

Jam is now being made extensively in the colony, of good quality, though some manufacturers are accused of mixing pumpkin, turnip, and melons with their jam. Certainly jam page 89 made in a certain part of New Zealand, and much advertised, is a very tasteless compound. Considering the splendid fruit; which can be grown in the colony, especially in the North, it is strange that fruit-preserving has not taken a more prominent place. Hobart Town jam has a good reputation in all the colonies, and a large quantity is imported from there: half the quantity which comes is from the United Kingdom. The value of jam imported last year was £10,552, of which £6,094 came from the United Kingdom and £3,409 from Tasmania. In 1883 the value imported altogether was £22,923, which tells a favourable story of the development of the manufacture within the colony. The duty is 1½d. per lb.

Fruits.—Fruit-growing is an industry for which New Zealand is said to be singularly well adapted. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, melons, and grapes grow luxuriously in the North Island; while apples, pears, and other fruit thrive especially well in the Southern. Yet the retail price of fruit is ridiculously high, and can only be accounted for by the high price of labour, and the demand for a large profit on the part of the retailer. All the reports seem to agree that fruit-growing should prove highly remunerative; and all have to impliedly admit that so far it is not on a satisfactory footing. What is required is systematic cultivation, and proper business arrangements for the disposal of the produce. An irregular supply can never command a profitable market, and a few failures discourage the grower. Fresh fruit preserving, especially peaches, by means of sealed cans, has been established at the Thames; but the article produced cannot yet be said to vie with that of such Californian firms as Cutting and Co., consequently it does not command the same price in the market.

In Aërated Waters and Cordials a large manufacture goes on within the colony, there being seventy-nine factories, employing 228 hands, with an invested capital of £66,900, and making about 650,000 dozen of the various drinks coming under the head of aerated waters and cordials. The value of the aerated water imported in 1884 was £2,481. There is no duty, presumably, because the import is chiefly made for the sake of the bottles, which are retained and used by our manufacturers.

Linseed, Rape, Canary, and other Oil-producing Seeds.—The growth of linseed would be of great value, and bonuses have page 90 been offered for the manufacture of linseed oil. It should be a very remunerative crop, as it takes less time from seed-time to harvest than almost any other crop, and will grow thirty bushels to the acre, on well-farmed land. Its price in London varies from £2 16s. to £3 2s. per quarter, and it is principally imported from Russia. The development of linseed cultivation would lead to the establishment of mills for the production of oil and the manufacture of paint and other oils, of which an enormous value is annually imported. In 1884 143,989 gallons of linseed oil, worth £16,869, was imported.

Paints.—A great manufacture of paints is possible to the colony. New Zealand is rich in such requisites as manganese, hematite, copper, ochres, silicates, and kauri gum. Hematite is manufactured at the Thames and Nelson; and is largely used. Our kauri gum comes back to us in the shape of varnish, and might be made at home.

Mimosa Bark.—This is imported largely into the colony, although it could be grown here upon any ordinary soil. There is an unlimited demand for the article in Europe, and the price is increasing. In Victoria mimosa plantations yield a net return of £4 to £5 an acre. The best kinds to grow are the Acacia decurrens, the Acacia pycuantha, and the Acacia saligna. A valuable gum, which has become an article of export from Australia, is obtained from these trees.

Quinine can be grown in open fern-tree gullies to the north of the Auckland Isthmus; and large returns might be looked for from a systematic and careful cultivation of this valuable medicinal plant.

Opium could be grown with profit, and in Victoria careless cultivation has resulted in a profit of £30 an acre. The kinds recommended for this colony are Papaver somnifera and Alpha glabratum. On ordinary soils the plant is of very easy cultivation. It can be sown broadcast and thinned out, or sown in a seed-bed and pricked out. Three or four days after the petals have fallen the capsule is scored with a small knife, and the juice that exudes is scraped off and formed into balls. This is the whole process for preparing the product for market. The Indian exports of opium alone are valued at £13,500,000. The value of Chinese-grown opium is fully equal to that of Indian.

Common Hemlock—Digitalis (Foxglove).—These plants are page 91 naturalized in New Zealand, and could be grown as articles of commerce.

Carroway.—This could be easily grown here. It is used in considerable quantities. The same culture that suits common parsley would suffice for the carroway.

Santonine (Worm Medicine), Henbane, Belladonna, Camphor, Laurel and Sassafras Laurel, Liquorice, and Saffron.—These could be all grown and manufactured in the colony. Henbane and belladonna were introduced into Auckland some years ago, and did very well in the gardens. They are of easy culture, especially henbane, as it might be grown by the acre more easily than turnips. The leaves, stems, and seeds of the plant are used. Liquorice is cultivated in Nelson to a small extent. It belongs to the pea family: its cultivation is simple: the root is the portion used. Spanish liquorice is simply the inspissated sap of the root.

Perfumes could be produced from flowers with great advantage, the Oamaru district being admirably suited for the growth of perfume flowers which are not affected by frosts, such as lavender. I understand that the perfumes exhibited by Messrs. Mason, of Auckland, and which" make an elegant appearance, are manufactured from perfumes imported in fat, and distilled in Auckland.

Peruvian Bark (Cinchona Officinalis) could be cultivated in parts of the Auckland Province, and should prove highly remunerative. Some very valuable papers have been written by Mr. Thomas Kirk, F.L.S., on this subject, and on the economic plants which might be cultivated in this colony, from which I have drawn information. Mr. Kirk gives a considerable list of drug-yielding plants suitable for local cultivation, the perusal of which would afford valuable hints to those desiring to add to their profitable crops.

Wattle Bark might be produced with profit in this colony. The wattle flourishes on poor land, and might be grown extensively. The age at which the trees may be stripped with the best advantage has been determined at from five to ten years. The three species from which the bark is derived are the Acacia pycuantha, or the broad-leaf golden-and-green wattle; the Acacia decurrens, or black wattle; and the Acacia dealbata, or silver wattle. The first-named is superior to any other, but is page 92 smaller and of slower growth than the black and silver species. The silver wattle is not used generally for tanning purpos.es. The black wattle is of vigorous, robust habit, and for commercial purposes is equal to the broad-leaf. The wood of the wattle is of considerable value for cask-staves, axle-spokes, axe-and pick-handles, and many other articles requiring wood of tough, durable grain. It makes the best firewood for ovens and furnaces. It is also good for fencing-rails. A good profit may also be derived from the sale of the gum which exudes from the trees. The seed can be purchased at 10s. per lb. On loose, sandy soil it can be sown broadcast; on hard soils a plough-furrow should be made, at intervals of 5ft. to 6ft.

Cement.—In 1884 we imported 68,510 barrels of cement, worth £38,708, with a duty of 1s. per barrel. In 1882 the value was £68,837, not including damaged cement, on which no duty was paid. There is a satisfactory decrease in these figures, and points to the use of Mahurangi lime and other equivalents for Portland cement. Messrs. Wilson and Co., of Mahurangi, have now eighteen kilns at work, and are able to turn out 300,000 bushels per annum. They say the supply of raw material is unlimited, and the works can be increased to any extent required, and that they ask no bonus, no protection; but simply that the Government will give them some practical assistance by using their lime in all public works for which it may be adapted. It is now admitted on Government works, and is used extensively by private firms. There seems to be good ground for saying that there are large deposits of limestone throughout the colony. On the west coast of the Middle Island it is found very extensively, though not of first-class quality. At Timaru, Oxford, Selwyn, Dunedin, Thames, and other places limestone and chalk are found, and on a small scale lime-burning goes on. So far, the Mahurangi ground hydraulic lime is almost the only Colonial lime fairly in the market, except that which is locally produced for local consumption.

Fungus.—This curious article of export deserves passing notice. The export has risen from fifty-eight tons, value £1,927, in 1872, to 400 tons, value £18,939, in 1882. The whole supply is sent to China by way of the Hawaiian Islands or San Francisco. Only one kind is used—namely, that known as page 93 Himeola polytricha, easily distinguished from other fungi by its greyish colour outside and reddish-brown interior when dried.

Rabbit-skins.—One of the greatest pests known in the colony—the rabbits—produce an article of export which deserves a place in our list. In 1882 the value of rabbit-skins exported by us was £88,725. Granted that the colony would willingly be without a single rabbit, these figures mean employment for many men. In 1883 the value was £100,955; in 1884 it was £107,514.

Pottery, Earthenware, Patent Bricks, Tiles, Drain-pipes, Firebricks.—This industry is well-established, and the exhibits in this department at the Exhibition were among the most interesting. Considerable artistic taste has already been shown, but improvement in this respect can be almost boundless. Filters, ornamental jars, tea-pots, flower-pots, cisterns, and mosaic tiles are all exhibited, besides abundance of drain-pipes and coarser wares. Considering the heavy freight on these goods, and the danger of breakage in transit, the colony ought to produce all its own earthenware. Until my visit to the Exhibition I had no knowledge that such things were to be procured of colonial manufacture, and I have no doubt many others were equally ignorant.

The workings in metal were especially noticeable, Messrs. A. and J. Burt's and Messrs. Scott Brothers' exhibits being most attractive. There is a good trade being done now in iron and brass workings, as well as in machinery generally; and in all the large cities there are foundries which reflect credit upon the owners, and are rapidly expanding with an increasing trade. But the complaint is general that the Government railway workshops compete unfairly with private enterprise.

Carriage-making appears to be making good head-way; and, with improved roads and increasing wealth and business development, the trade in carriage-making should prosper exceedingly. The specimens at the Exhibition seemed to be admirable examples of the carriage-builder's art. Wagonette, sulky, spring-trap, and double and single buggy were really equal to anything I have seen in the same lines. Whether the price was also able to compete with foreign makers I was unable learn. Why railway carriages should not be now constructed in the colony is a question which page 94 I hope will be answered by encouraging the manufacture of them here at once.

Paper-making has been established, and rough papers are exhibited. The total value of paper imported was £112,000. Of course much of this will continue to be imported for a long while; but there is printing paper imported to the value of £63,000 which might well be made in the colony, although the fact of its being admitted duty free will militate against the colonial industry being successfully carried on.

Glass.—Two or three glassworks are already established, and make bottles, lamp-glasses, chimneys, &c. The raw material for glass-making abounds, but it has, so far, been found more profitable to collect broken glass for re-smelting. I did not notice any exhibit of glass at the Exhibition, but a company has recently been started at Kaiapoi for the manufacture of glass. The import of glass for 1884 is as under: Bottles, £7,020; plate, £5,268; window, £14,204; glassware, £13,203.

Marble, Slate.—Marble is shown at the Exhibition from Caswell Sound Quarry; and, though it cannot be said to be as fine as Parian, it seems a fairly marketable commodity. Considerable expense has been gone to by the company, and it is to be hoped that the trade will develop into a large and successful one. Slate is to be found in the Kakanui Range, but I am not aware that it has yet been utilized, nor what prospects there are of successfully producing roofing-slates within the colony.

Iron.—So far iron smelting has not been successful, though large sums have been spent, and vast deposits of iron ores exist in the colony. There are very extensive works at Onehunga, but it is too soon to speak positively about them. A large quantity of hematite paint is manufactured from the Parapara hematite ore, and is the most approved paint for covering iron buildings with.

Petroleum.—There seems to be good hope that, before long, this most useful article will be found in payable quantities. In Gisborne works have been going steadily on for a long time; and, though so far no signal success has been met with, there still appears to be good prospect of the shareholders "strikingile" to their own and the colony's advantage.

Lengthy as is the list given and treated of above, it does not cover nearly all the ground that might be gone over, as will be page 95 seen on reference to the catalogue on the following pages. Taken together the pages written should serve to show the multiplicity of the industries which are already started and doing fairly well, and only require wholesome support and encouragement to further develop themselves. If the result of the Exhibition and this contest of essays incites to a study of the question of our industries generally, and to a strong desire to further them by using our own productions as much as possible, a great end will have been achieved and great good must result.

Some noticeable branches of colonial manufactures, well established, and easily procurable in the colony by those who know where to send for the article required—taken from inspection at the Exhibition, and notes made thereat: Woodware of all kinds, wickerware, turnery; wooden pipes, holders, &c.; confectioners' and carvers' and gilders' moulds; veneers, coopers' ware, billiard balls; medicines, and druggists' goods; pottery—ornamental and otherwise, coal; brass work and ironwork, preserved meat, tallow, neatsfoot oil and trotter oil, lime; soap—common and toilet; candles and oil-cake, blacking, hematite paint, glue, leather of all kinds, bonedust and artificial manures, barbed wire and fixings, farm implements generally of all kinds; cooking-ranges and stoves, steam-engines and pumps; tin-, galvanized, and japanned ware; safes, machine tools, furniture of all kinds, bookbinding and engraving, lithography, wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, violin strings, carriages, buggies, carts, sulkies, &c., harness and leather-work, bricks, lime, cement, rope and cordage, woollen fabrics of all kinds, yarns, boots and shoes, wigs, clothing, taxidermists' goods, jewellery; flour, oatmeal, barley, peas, seeds, and cereals; malt, hops, ham and bacon, biscuits, confectionery; preserved fish, soup, and meats; preserved fruits and jams; sauces, aerated waters, beer, coffee, and spices.