Normanby.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 181, 4 August 1904, Page 4

Normanby.

(From Our Correspondent ) aaya and dry roads up to Satui- , day smce when wir.d and rain have made outdoor work impossible. l4d throughout ti« winter has been g<£d ' and the stock are looking well J-.arrikini.s,n.-\Ve still aro posses** ■ Tk \?l ?" antit y °' this, element. At time ago, on a hno evening, the ton portions of the windows were „££ L the result being a shower of ve rv unhealthy oggs through the opentogs. At another bail lately held Q n a rough Bight barbed wire was put across the gateway., and secured „ few warns Ham-**, and traps were Paid particular attention, much to the annoyance of the owners when . . f. bout t« yoke up, and lam sorry to say these practical jokes have not been sheeted home to those "inno-' cents abroad." j... Political.-We returned a supporter of the Government a t last election, but so far we are 110 better off. The electorate .has not asked for am ~ gigantic favours, but one small i(em has been frequently requested, viz. to have the express train timed to . »top regularly here, but a deaf car ha» been turned to the request, small as it is. Hence a number of electors are already of opinion, we should be better off with an Opposition member than with a supporter of the Government to represent us, a la I'ahiatua. fronsaiKl Smeltinjf.—So far nothing definito has developed, but it Is about to 'be suggested that the Galbraith Iron and Steel Company erect a trial furnaco hero and cart some fewtons of sand from the nearest beach and give a public test of their 'patent electric smelting." This without doubt is a very wise and practical suggestion, for if the process is anything like up to what is claimed for it, it will revolutionise the iron and steel output throughout the world—a big claim, but quite possible. There is a bonus of £1 per ton for the first twenty thousand tons of iron or stet'l produced, ami on order from the Government of Bcventy-fivo thousand tons of ironwork at Homo prices plus freight. The power is availablo here, hrnre every inducement is apparent for the company to at once proceed to business if they only look to their own interests. The report upon the t.'albraith electrical smelling process states that steel can lie produced at a cost of £1 'ls y}d per ton, and a much larger quantity put through than by any other known process-. ~ The report—a very exhaustive and thorough one, I am advised—is by Mr F. Bich, B.Sc, electrical and mining engineer, now engaged at Karangahake. It deals with tho output of l/he 1 world of iron and stool (or ten years, viz., 1891 to 1901, and the cost of the same per ton showing that the Cost of converting troll ore into steel at the furnace is 58s Id per ton. It appears that the «r» is first (Werted into Iron un-

1 dor an average oost of 83s 3d per ton ; then the iron is converted in- | to steel at a further cost of 24s lOd per ton, or a total of 58s Id, aKdinst the Galbra.th process at 23s BJd for stoel right away. If, os I said before,, the Galbralth patent is up to specified ability, its results may well be looked forward to by imentors, and it will no doubt be a huge concern, May ii be so, and Mitt. M. Smith, M.H.K.. have the full gratification of saving his ideal ocheme tf dealing with our ironsand fully developed, and at such a rate as he never dreamed of. The quantity of naml which the furnaces by the Ualbiaith process can put through hourly or daily is, compared with the old methods, marvellous, it bi-'.ng n coiitiniinl stream of sand to each furnace. I have heard some old idi.niities complain that the iron industry was only a farce, as lht>rc waß not sufficient sand to pay the furnace. To these I would suggest a trip along the hcae".; from Hawera to Waitotara and buck to Mokau. Conversion would follow.