The Daily News. TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1903. THE IRONSAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 117, 19 May 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, MAY 19, 1903. THE IRONSAND.

The Auckland Herald, referring to this question siys : —" The news which has reao v ed the colony up to the present respecting ths project to woik the de-po-its both of iron ore and ironsaad has been sonuwhat vague. We are in- j formed by the Premier that hi has received a private letter from Mr Cad nan on the subject giving h'm the litest kfjrmatioa. It will be remembered that last session an Ac< was passed giving the Government leave to grant leases of land at Para para, in the Nelßtm district, not excatdiDg 1000 acres, for the purposes of working tbe liron ore. So far as this is concerned, we understand that the negotiations may ~e taken as concluded, Asrespsct' the itonaatid at Taranak', Mr Cad mar. sates that an exprrt will be sent to tht colony, and tbe London company will be guided by his report as to the whole subject of deilirg with the deposi s There is a vast mass of the best class if iron ore at Parapara, and the com mencement of operations there will b( of great importacca colony." The London correspondent of the Wellington Post also writes:— •'Many, many weeks ago Mr Oidnrn gave e promise to the writer to let bim know when aDylhiDg definite was to be tolo concerning the attempt to form a com pany here to exploit Taraiaki iron sands. So far I have heard nothiag' from che authoritative source, but ai old friend who his dibbled with New Zealand ironsand in divs gone by ttl'Bj me that several g ntlemen have interest, d themselves sufficiently in Mi j Oadman's venture to form a small syn- J dica'e to tickle the business in a busi-ness-like fashion before appealing to the British public for the large amount of capital which will be necessity to commence operations on a large seal 1 , The first step of the syndicate, I understand, will be to send out to the colony for 500 tons of the sand, which will be made into iron and sfceil in England under their own eyes. They do not, I am told, propose to use Mr .E. M. eimi h's system of treatment, but will proceed on the Hues tf the Swedish electrical process. If the results are satisfactory they will th n proceed to form a company with a eapitil of £600,000. The course tob3 pmsu d is the right one undoubtedly, for up to the present the experiments made with the sand in England (what hag done in New Zaihnd counts for ve y little with financiers here) have bean " drawing-room" tests only, and of very little value in the eyes of praotic J men." We have reason to know that, whi'e there is some truth in both the above statements, matters are furthet advanced than either of these statements indicate, Mr Smith's process will not be abandoned, although the Swedish electrical process wi 1 also be employed. The expert will not report on the feasibility of the scheme, as that is beyond the legion of doub f , bu'ion the machinery, etc., required to carry on operatior s. As regards the erection of works, reducing plants will be erected at Parapara and New Plymouth, and probably P>te a , but the manure.uring plant will, if suitable shipping arrangements can be made, bo erected at New Plymouth, on account of the railnray advantages.