WHY IS NOT THE MINERAL WEALTH OF THE COLONY DEVELOPED?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 145, 21 June 1877, Page 2

WHY IS NOT THE MINERAL WEALTH OF THE COLONY DEVELOPED?

To Tim Editor od> the « Evening Mail.* Sir—l notice that on the 27th of Mpy Lerapricre's British and Tasmauian Iron Company sold five hundred tons of Jpig iron in Melbourne, it being of a qualitysupcrior to any imported. Why is it that "the enormous deposit of iron ore at Para Para has not been made to give up its wealth? There are millions of tons—superior in quality to the Lempriere Company, the iron produced (or reduced) from it is nearly equal to Norway iron—it only has to be quarried—no shafts to be sunk, or drives put in —there are lime and coal in the immediate vicinity, advantages not possessed by the Tasmauian Company—the two compauies started about the same time in Melbourne—yet the one is a splendid success, the othep a miserable failure. Why is it? In arguing the quostion the other night a nautipal friend put it rather strongly, " because common sense was at the helm of the one company, while folly was at the wheel of the other'" and that the two companies wanted to go into the same business as the Bairds of Gartshenie—the Tasmanian began as the Bairds beyan, and succeeded—the Para Para wanted to begin as the Bairds left off, and failed—like a great many other young people who try to start as their fathers left off, and find it is not to be done. Why I have been told that Dr Hector could not find a man in England competent to carry out the magnificent ideas of the am Para Company, although his screw was to be lugtar than that of the Premier of New Zealand.'lhc J'asmanianCompany, Ibelieve

imported a gang of five iron smelters at from 60s to 90s per week each. .However, the^ Para Para promoters have had the lease of the ore for fiva or six years, and if they have got impractical id£as which they cannot carry out the Government should interfere and cancel the lease. It cannot be contended, that the lease was granted for the special" private benefit of one or two or half a dozen individuals. It is a serious loss to jthe community that the ore is not worked. I think, Sir, you ought to call upon our M.H.R.'s to see that the lease of [the Para Para is either beneficially worked or given up. Perhaps, some of your (readers can throw a little more light on this question. — I am, &c, Traveller. Nelson, June 20.