1.-12.

J. KINGSLAND.

123

John Kingsland, Boot-manufacturer, examined. I represent my son, T. D. Kingsland, fellmonger, of Walkiwi, who has been prevented from coming before you to-day. It was his intention to lay before the Committee certain facts in connection with the tanning of hides. We have enough bark in Hie country to tan all the hides in New Zealand. I leave with the Committee a paper on the subject written by my son.

OAMARU. Thursuay, 27th Feukuaky, 1919. E. P. Lee, M.P., examined. I desire, if 1 may, to state the case on behalf of Messrs. Lloyd, Kinder, and Co., manufacturing chemists, of Oarnaru, in relation to the establishing of an industry for saving wool-fat and potash for industrial, domestic, medicinal, and fertilizing purposes. Professor Gardner, Technical College, Bradford, stated that raw wool carries from. 18 to 20 per cent, of wool-fat and from sto 6 per cent, of potash. According to the " New Zealand Year-book," page 480, New Zealand exported in 1916 200,119,016 Ib. of wool, and sold to mills here 8,772,4671b., a total of 208,891,483 Ib. Placing the wool-fat content at 20 per cent., we have exported 40,023,803 Ib. of wool-fat; New Zealand washed 1,754,493 Ib.: total, 41,778,296 Ib. This is equivalent to 17,867 tons of wool-fat in exports, and 783 tons in locally washed, a total of 18,650 tons. Uses of wool-fat : (1) It is used in medicine as a basis for ointments, salves, cosmetics, and as a superfatting agent in the manufacture of some toilet-soaps; (2) in less purified condition it is used as a base for the manufacture of " Degras," used in the tanning industry as a stuffinggrease for leather; (3) it. may be used as a lubricant for machinery, or base for such; (4) and as a base for manufacture of leather and belt-dressings. Collection :Itis a by-product in the wool-scouring industry. The crude grease as skimmed from the scouring-bowl contains dirt, some occluded wool, soapy scour solution, &c. In England the wool-scourers are compelled by regulation to remove the fats and soaps from the scour solutions before they are run down the drains and creeks, in order to prevent pollution. In New Zealand there are no such regulations, and the fats are not removed. For its collection in the scouring-works a, settling-tank would be the only extra requirement, thence the wool-fat could be skimmed off and sent to the next department for treatment and purification. The purification plant is not an expensive one. In our own works less than £500 has provided a plant capable of refining a ton a day. Everything that has been put there has been in an experimental way, and much time, thought, and expense could have been saved had we had definite knowledge of the requirements necessary. The -final process of purification is our trade secret, and you will see by the Government Analyst's report we are manufacturing a product which fulfils the requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia for lanoline. We think no industry in New Zealand more deserving of Government investigation than this scouring one. No place in the world is better able to handle the work. We have the wool, the water, the power, and the men. If each gradingcentre were in addition a scouring-centre, what riches would be circulated within our own shores that- are now wasted or given away! Taking wool-fat as worth only £15 per ton, its value in the 1916 clip was £279,750, which amount, at least, was entirely lost to this Dominion, either by neglect to save the scour-products or through shipping away the wool unscourcd. I have referred to the potash present in our wools, and wish to show what is lost to New Zealand by neglecting to save it or by giving it away to foreign purchasers. Uses of potash : The sulphate and chloride of potash are imported principally as fertilizers, for which purpose they arc becoming increasingly popular as manures for growing heavy crops of vegetables, fruit, vines, etc. Large quantities of potassium-chlorate are required for the manufacture of explosives. Caustic potash and pearlash are used largely in the manufacture of softsoap. Potash from wool is better than from other sources. Three samples from various wools gave the following results, viz. : — Potash 589 58-7 529 Soda 3'o 4-6 92 Carbon dioxide ... ... ... ... 2P7 260 222 Chlorine H'l 100 B's Sulphuric anhydride ... ... ... ... Trace Trace 43 Insoluble matter ... ... ... ... o'3 ... o'6 The soda-content is low, and the only other impurity of importance is potassium chloride. As this and the sodium carbonate, and also potassium sulphate (if present), crystallize out of a, concentrated solution of potassium carbonate, it is possible to obtain a practically pure potash carbonate from this source. Cost of production of potash from wool : Assuming a scouring-works dealing with 3,000 tons greasy wool annually, working one shift only, the extra plant required to effect the recovery of the potash would be as follows. Such a plant involves the use of three scouring-sets, and to secure economical working it will be necessary to have a steeping-bowl and set of squeezing-rollers at the head of each bowl, so that the wool, once fed into the potash-recovery plant, goes through the scour as one continuous process. Three stecping-bowls, with rollers, at £300 = £900; one small Porion evaporator and incinerator (capable of evaporating 5,000 gallons a day), £400; storage, redissolving, ami cystallizing tanks, sheds, ivc, £400 : total, £1,700. Working-costs : Wages, £450; water and coal, £270; power, £150; repairs and renewals (10 per cent, of £1,700), £170; capital