IRON SAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 281, 13 November 1862, Page 5

IRON SAND.

To the Editor of the Otago Daily Times.) Sir, —By your publication to-day of the Olago Doily Times I observe an article stating; that an application had been made to the General Government, and is under consideration, to grant to some one the exclusive right of the beach between the mouths of the Molyneux"andMataurarivers on theone side, and between the Molyneox and T.uieri rivers on the other, the applicant's object being to procure titaniferous iron san'lj and reduce the same by his new smelting process into superior iron. Allow me to state that in the opinion of other parties (who also know something of titaniferous iron sand, auriferous iron sand, common iron sand, as well a? the manufacture of metallic iron,) that in this country, the manufacture of iron is not likely to be profitable to the proprietors or shareholders in such works, when the prices of labor, provisions and fuel are taken into consideration, and compared with the like iv England and els?.where. But they shrewd iysuspect that such manufacture is not the real or only object of the application, for it is well known by a large population of gold diggers (especially) and others, that tie said titaniferous iron sarid contains gold in more or less proportions, and that such a grant as is contemp.ated, would necessarily exclude those diggers (so inclined) from working such portions'of the banks of the aforesaid rivers, and extracting the gold therefrom. It does not seem fair or just towards those, that one party alone should have such exclusive right or privilege granted at all to him, when the writer can also shew as good a reason tor his claim to make an application for an exclusive right to extract the gold over the same district by his newly invented process, and he would be willing, and glad, if such "were granted to him to make a present of all the titaniferous iron (after he had extracted the gold from. it) to any enterprising party who would take it away,, free, for nothing, and possibly in a better state for making the superior iron referred to.

It is to be hoped sincerely by parties concerned only in getting the gold, not the iron, that the Government will be found more just and prudent, I than to grant any such exclusive (I might ..say ' delusive) right or privilege to one party more than another. Further, I dare say, the famous Indian Iron Company, of London, some years ranee, will be in the memory of many persons here. They succeeded in making iron, as* many thought, equal to the Swedish; and I recollect that nearly 2,000 tons of the company's iron remained in the London Docks a very long time (years I think) without attracting purchasers, but to a very limited extent, and might have continued to remain there, had n^t a party whom I knew well, in due transaction, purchased, from the company 1,200 tons, and pretty well cleared oft* their stock; but the buyer after great exertion,for such was the competitionjand prejudice to overcome, only succeeded in effecting sales; of

the who'e to make a loss of some L6OO. Now if such a result followed the iudiaa iron manufacture, where provisions and labor are almost nominal, and freight very cheap, what may an iron company expect in Otago, where the direct contrary exits'{ I hope to injure no one by these remarks, -which are only made by way of caution in suchlike specuJanous. As uiy apology for this intrusion, I tiust tkit you will allow the subject to iorm my excuse, and I gratefully remain, Sir, Your mest obedient servant, Fair Play.