The Daily News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1902. THE IRONSAND QUESTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 14 February 1902, Page 2

The Daily News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1902. THE IRONSAND QUESTION.

What about the irowsand? ii the question which is in everybody's mouth just now. Naturally the question is always one of deep interest to the people of T*ran»ki, and the return of the Hon. A. J. (Jadman, 0.M.G., and Mr E. M. Smith, M.H.R., from London, where they have been promoting a company to deal with this valuab'e product, has deepened this interest. Natuially in a matter of this kind it is difficult to satisfy psop's because there are matters which must necessarily be confidential until everything is signed and sealed. Thanks lo the courtesy of Mr D. Berry wa have been enabled, from time to time, to keep our readers posted with- the broad facts, and now through the courtesy of Mr Cad min we hare been enabled to put before our readers a good deal of infarmati' which, though perhaps not very defi nite, is reading between, we thiuk, extresaely satisfactory. Oce thing is clear that Mr Cddman makes no' secret of his confidence that the company to establish the ironsand works will be formed withoab difficulty or delay ts soon as the matters that have required his return to the colony are satisfactorily fixed up. ably some of these matters have not been nude public, but those which relate to the harbour should not csuse serious trouble, Although we do not consider the establishment of these ironworks as abs ilutely nec»ssary to the progress and prosperity of Taranaki, there is no gainsaying the fact that the establishment means an enormous advantage to the whole of Taranaki, It means an" enormous influx of popuht'on and a good local market for every class of produce. It means making New Plymouth the Sheffield of Australasia. Mr Oadman is such a thoroughly reliable, such a cautious,careful, calculating man thatit is not at all likely he would make the trip to the colony and back to London, without more than hope to' sustain him. We do hope, therefore, that his views in the matter of thi> harbour lessee and the improvement of the port will be met in a busi-ness-like manner. We hold no brief for Mr Oadman, but we do recognise that the establishment of these woika means an unexampled period of prosperity for Taranaki. The cost of improving the harhour, even if it were double the estimate, sinks into insignificance beside the benefits which would accrue from the establishment of the works as proposed. One very satisfactory feature of the business is the high terms in which Mr Oadman speaks of tho services of Mr E. M. Smith, the member for Taranaki. Th>s will be very gratifying to his constituents, who will feel that his confidence in the ultimate success of his echerpe is assured, and that their confidence in him has not been misplaced, Mr Oadman declares that all Mr Smith's predictions have been more th%n fulfilled. There are these who go so far at to declare that Mr Oadman would have done better not ta have taken Mr Smith with him. We have Mr Cidman's authority for saying that Mr Smith's presence, hia skill, his special and practical knowledge wero indispensable. This is very gratifying, aad we heartily congratulate- Mr Smith on having successfully demonetiatejl the commercial value of the vast sources of wealth lying along our shores, and hope b»fore very long to be able to congratulate him on having succsedad in what is the g eat object of his life,