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Lighting. This is very good, due to the fact that the natural
lighting of the workrooms is on the northern light principle.
The Flooring of the factory is of impervious material, being of
cement, the only exception being in the tea galleries, where the floors
are made of wood. All floors were quite dry and clean.
The walls, also, are of impervious material, varying from cement to
glazed brick or painted walls.
Lavatory Accommodation. The supply of water closets is in
keeping with the requirements of the Factory Acts. There are 426
women and 182 men employed. The number of female w.c.'s is 27,
and there are 31 wash-hand basins. The corresponding number for
males is 17 and 17 respectively ; there are 10 male urinals. The w.c.'s
are pedestal pans, each in a separate enclosure, with proper doors and
fastenings; the whole is properly ventilated into the open air. The
wash-hand basins are of china in slate slabs, and the supply of soap
and towels is adequate.
Canteens. Well equipped canteens are in use for the employees.
Heating. This is satisfactory, and is effected through steam pipes..
The Manufactures. Cocoa beans (from Theobroma cacao trees)
are imported from the West Indies and Ceylon. They are first of all
roasted in a container, then they go through a process (cracked by
machinery) whereby the husks are removed, leaving the nibs. The
husks are exported for animal food; at one time they were sent to
Ireland for use in making " tea," but the tariff now imposed by the Free
State makes it prohibitive. The nibs are crushed in a steam-heated
machine, thus extracting 75 per cent. of the fat which passes off as a
liquid. This run-off fat cools and forms a yellowish solid called cacao
butter, and is used as the basis of the chocolate creams and the
marzipans (fruit sweets). The residue from the crushed nibs consists
of brownish cakes, containing the remaining 25 per cent. of the fat.
The residue is ground and sweetened with fine sugar, the resulting
product being cocoa. Cocoa consists of moisture, fat, starch, cacao
butter, proteins, cellulose and mineral matter.
Chocolates. Part of the residue is finely ground, sweetened and
flavoured, forming a thick brownish fluid called liquid chocolate. For the
centre of the sweets—cacao butter is melted again, flavoured, sweetened
and coloured if necessary, thus forming the centre of the chocolate