BASIS OF A NEW INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1755, 22 November 1917, Page 1

BASIS OF A NEW INDUSTRY.

The gas mantle industry seems likely to be rescued from German domination, for the mineral survey noAv being conducted in Ceylon has led to the discovery of beach deposits of monazite sand, Avhich avill usefully supplement the commercial supplies of thoria needed for the mantles, Samples of the sand have been investigated by the Imperial Institute, and the results are regarded as so promising that the Ceylon Government is going to Avork-thc deposits, Avith the help of British concentrating machinery specially selected by the Institute after satisfactory trials. Formerly the monazite deposits in Brazil were the only commercial source of supply of thoria, and these wore controlled by the German Thorium Syndicate. The Brazilian monopoly enjoyed by it Avas broken by the discovery of certain extensive’deposits of monazite in the native state of Travancore, in India, so rich that samples examined by the Imperial Institute Avere found to contain nearly tAvice as much thoria as the Brazilian monazite. But the German syndicate obtained control of the company formed to Avork the Indian deposits, and they continued to exercise a dominating influence over the industry till the outbreak of the AA r ar, Since then the company has been reconstructed and given a British character, and it is understood that another portion of the deposits in Travancore has been taken up, and will bo worked.by a second British company. It is of interest to note that the work of the Mineral Survey has shown that Ceylon can furnish several other thoria minerals besides monazite, including thorianite, the richest known source of thoria. This mineral, AA'hen it first came on the market, Avas sold in this country at as high a rate as £1,600 per ton, but the deposits have proved to be limited.