NO FEAR OF AN IRON FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1112, 27 April 1911, Page 4

NO FEAR OF AN IRON FAMINE.

4 NEW ZEALAND'S SUPPLY. (By TolCErapli.—Special Correspondents Christeliurch, April 26. An interesling contribution to the discussion on the nationalisation of the ironore dcpo«its of the Dominion has been made by Mr. li. Speight, n member of tlic stali' of the Canterbury Museum. "One of the two main supplies in New Zealand," said Mr. Speight, "is the Taranaki iron-sand, which exists in very larpo quantities. Its value is a good deal discounted bccause it contains titanium, the quality of which makes it difficult to smelt the sand. It is only fair to sav that similar iron ores are smelted with sucec.« in Canada. The other sourco of supply in Xc-w Zcalp.d is tlio Parapara iron deposit, which is a hematite iron of fairly good quality, and exists in very large quantities, probably hundreds of millions oi* tons. The estimates mado by Dr. Bell are below that quantity, but they were admittedly conservative. The special advantage of the Parapara ore is that it is near coal, water, and limeitone, and power would be readily available. \Vc lmve no low-grade bf any quantity lo fall back upon if these supplies tiro exhaustcd. Following en the lines of Norway, where conditions are not dissimilar to those hero, it would seem a safe step to take to conserve the iron ores for tho State. The quantities of iron are so great that there is no fear of an iron famine. A point of interest is that ton of iron requires half a ton of coke to smelt it. Granting, that mothcds cannot, be used, it sesms that the stipplv of coke-making coal will probably uo exhausted before the iron ores go. A point in favour of conservation is thai in 50 vears Xew Zealand will be pracluciugits own iron. Tho population will be larger, there will be a bigger demand for iron goods, and a consequent increase in the demand for iron."