NEW ZEALAND IRON.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 549, 2 July 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND IRON.

FLOTATIbN OF A COMPANY. THE TREASURES OP PARAPARA. . An industrial enterprise which is expoctod to prove of tho greatest importance to-New Zealand is at the present timo being pknned by a'.group of southern capitalist. ' A ChrietchuTct syndicato. has-boea, registered with a capital of £40)00p for the purposo of takipg ovier the oxtoneive iron leases at.Parapara, in the Nelson district olid New PlymouUi. The intention' is to form a very large: company to work the deposits on an extensive scale. Coal leases.are being taken up within eight miles of the deposits at Parapara. It is anticipated that a'large portion of <the requisite capital will be found in Now Zealand. Very little has been heard of the Parapara deposits since the last/unsuccessful attempt to float a large company in England for the purpose of working them. A couplo of years ago it was confidently anticipated that £500,000 would he raised in London for this purpose, but nothing came of it, although the promoters, relying upon export opinion, expected to produce all the '■' iron required m Nctv Zealand and a -large surplus for export. The' deposit of jron ore on the shores of Parapara Inlet embraces a section of cowu try 26 miles from east to west, and; twelve a'fld a half miles l from... north ,to sooth, stretching from the Tata Islands, in Golden Bay, almost.to the'shores of the Taeman Sea.' The most striking point about the deposit ie the vast amount of ore which is visible on. the surface. The longest single continuous ouV crop ie at Mount, Rinopai. where the ore 45-, pears unbrokenlyfor 20 chains, with a maximum width of over five chains. - The gorge of Washbourao Creek is cut complotely'in iron ore. In the water disappears beneath huge boulders of ore, which clog the oreek-bod; while: elsewhere splendid clifis of solid ore rise majestically from the Btream. Tho quality of tho oro is, in. general, extremely high. This description is drawn :from one of Dr. J. M.. Bell's geological- survey bulletins. Dr"; 801 l has also examined tho gold deposits of tho district; which are be- : lieved to be capable of profitablo development. -■ : .'-"It soems i remarkable," Dr.: Bell.proceeds; '(that deposits,of iron ore of such'immensity, of such high : average quality, ■ and of such easy accessibility' should have remained 'so long: unworked.'Tho day surely cannot be fa? distant when tieso enormous deposits will bo mined on a scale commensurate with.their great proportions. Exposed as"'they are on the surface, : they. possess; every facility , for cheap and easy winning; whilo their: dose proximity to the- eea; coast at. once affords every opportunity .for their exportation- in the crude stato or> ae pig-iron.. .The ■ actual' winning of the'oro could, be'undertaken with little difficulty or expense, by simply quarrying "on the' openKiut system. In the Mesabi section of -the' Lake; Superior region in the United; States of Ainerica, where somewhat , similar conditions prevail, the actual cost, of mining is estimated at 80 cents. ); ,oV 3sl 4d. per ton. In' New-Zealand the average costj should not-greatly exceed- this aipount^and mining operations might be conducted even more It , will probably-bo , found expedient to convert' the ore into- pig-iron before exportation.- There are .several suit; -able;spots for the Ideation of blast' furnaces; Aii equally-desirable site"for the, erection of reduction works for ore drawn from * tie Washbourne Block .'isto be obtained near tho shores of Parapara Inlet. The most suitable spot for constructing a wharf for shipping the ore or its products' from' Washbourne Block, and for' landing the materials requisite for mining and metallurgical operations, Bee a little to the north of Tukurna Point."

, The fact that the great deposit of iron oro at Parapara has remained so long practically untouched' becomes all the' : more remarkable when; it is ■ realised that .its existence has LHSen'.well/knbwir for many years..l.'ln the early' days before , the advent of white] people, the iron ore was used by the Maoris for making, paint.;' . ' . '. ■ : _; The projected new development is of special interest to.'Wellington,' as Parapara is only ,110 miles by sea. from'this port./;. .';'■. \Ttie Taranaki'ironsand, which is also to bo workied by- the proposed new 'company, | was at brie time brought prominently .before tho /public' , by;-;th^la^'Mr.'TE;/M: !J Snut3i;- M.H.R , but work in connection- with it never got beyond the experimental stage. All the iron at present':used in New;Zeakrid is imported

■■■■'■ The.cKegistrar of fhe Supremo' Court,. Mr. D. (i: A. Cooper, has been engaged in taking, evidence in connection <■.■ with a • claim of ■:£49,oqo. ; ihade by/Mr. Joseph H. "Witheford,. of London (formerly a member of tho Now Zealand House of Representatives), agaiast the Public ■Trustee, in the estate of the late Sir. A/ J, Cadman, tta ; Hon. Hamilton.G*lmer,; Mr.; AHan, Magnirey and Mr.. i Daniel Berry. (New Plymouth); for alleged breach'of agreement-ia.regard- to lie sale of defendants', lease of iron deposits. Mr. Levi appeared for tho plaintiff, Mr. Stafford for.-thePubHc Trustee, and Mr. Dabdell for the other defendants. <. ->.-\ V;.;,;'.;.