136 



The cost has been most carefully calculated and the 

 registers, drawn up on regular factory lines, will show 

 the precise cost and profits not only of each class but 

 of each batch of soap so that reliable data will be available. 

 The prices have recently been settled and though gly- 

 cerine has not yet been recovered, the proposed prices 

 give reasonable profit as will be demonstrated in the 

 next report. 



27. Owing to the demonstrated success of the soaps. 

 Government were pleased, towards the end of the finan- 

 cial year, to allot Rs. 75,000 for soap experiments during 

 igiG-^iy, and special instruction was given that opera- 

 tions should include glycerine recovery. Orders and 

 offers were consequently sent to England to one of the 

 chief makers of soap machinery, and a toilet soap plant 

 and other machines were fortunately obtained from stock 

 and are now (August) on their way out. The larger and 

 less complicated plant has been made out here, but, 

 owing to the war, there has been grievous delay and 

 extra cost in obtaining the plant which includes a 5 -ton 

 soap pan, boiler, etc., all now in place ; it is difficult at 

 present to obtain even common iron tanks. The vacuum 

 glycerine plant will probably not be available for many 

 months, but an ordinary evaporation plant is being 

 erected, to be steamed from our new boiler. The new 

 plant at Calicut should be making soap by ist September 

 and the toilet soap plant may be in operation by ist 

 October.* 



28. The soap made is solely genuine soap without 

 any adulteration or even filling ; it has excellent lathering 

 qualities, and can be sold at a good profit more cheaply 

 than Western soaps of equal character. As mentioned in 

 a lecture on " Soap " at the Madras Exhibition, oils are 

 available out here at cheap rates which are unknown — 

 in practice at all events — to the Western soap maker; 

 e.g., Mr. Menon re-discovered an oil which, prior to the 

 entry of kerosine oil, was a general illuminant on the 

 West Coast, but has now largely fallen into disfavour 

 and is proportionately cheap ; this is an excellent soap 

 oil and will be largely used. Other oils and fats than 

 those commonly known are and will be tried. Owing 



* Owing to unavoidable (1ela\s work did nul fairly begin till January. 



