UTILISING WASTE PRODUCT S

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 7 March 1918, Page 2

UTILISING WASTE PRODUCT S

AN INTERESTING ADDRESS

A VERY interesting and instructive address on the above subject was given in the Lyric Theatre on Thursday evening last by Mr T. Fegan, assisted by Mr A. Schmidt. There was a fair attendance of business men and others interested. Mr J.-F v -fe) Lambert, Chairman of the Tovrn)Mk Board, occupied the chair, and after a few remarks introduced the speakers. Mr Fegan asked his hearers to treat this matter of the utilisation of waste products very seriously, and pointed out how this matter was causing great attention in England and in every country. Although what they were doing at Home would astonish most <■ people, when he told them what : was being done in Germany, '. they would be electrified. The speaker showed how the commercial war was to follow the present conflict of arms. In Germany every article, horse, cow, pig, beast, man, motor,-and any item that was likely to lead to industry, was now being indexed and organised, so that as soon as peace was proclaimed Germany would be able to dump into the world's markets huge stocks of everything required. Although the German shipping companies had not a ship afloat, all their offices were open,'and clerks were busy organising their shipping, and they had 28 of the mightiest liners afloat ready to carry their goods to all parts of the world. Mr Fegan also showed how the scientist is the man of the future, and as the scientist works hand in hand with the commercial man, the scientific nation will in future rule the markets ot the world. The . speaker pointed out the great amount of water power going to waste in New Zealand, and the many valuable products produced with electricity, one of the principal being nitrogen. Germany had no advantages like New Zealand for the production of this useful article, but still she produced last year nearly £2,000,000 worth of nitrogen, some of which New Zealand would surely have to purchase after the war, if she did not produce it herself Other matters touched on by Mr Fegan were the by-products of coal tar, ironsands, meat refuse, fish offal, sawdust, toot-berry, wool washings, flax waste, soap factory waste, fruit waste, showing how all these could be turned to-comm-ercial value. Mr A. Schmitt then explained" the objects and articles of the company just formed, and invited those present to become members, several signing up;