THE IRON SUPPLY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 246, 23 November 1909, Page 4

THE IRON SUPPLY.

An article published iu the September number of the German review, "Nord uud Sud," ought to make pleasant reading for the shareholders in the company that owns/ the enormous ironstone deposits at Parapara. 'The writer of the article, who apparently has no knowledge of the mineral resources of this country, contends that the exhaustion of the world's iron ore fields is much nearer than is generally supposed. Jle estimates the consumption of iron during the next ten years at sixty million tons a year, or sufficient to use up ad the ore in the biggest of the Swedish mines in less than live years. There are, of course, numerous other resources of supply in the northern hemisphere, but of late it has -become increasingly j plain that the probable yield of these I has been greatly overestimated. M. j Sjongren, a Swedish expert, estimate* the world's iron ore supply at !),200,1000,000 tons, which means little more [ than 3,000,000,01)0 tons of iron. Tiie j testing of these figures will be the main task of the International Geological Congress, which is to meet at Stockholm next year; but if Sjongren's figures are even approximately correct, tho present rate of demand win exhaust the visible supply of ore .within sixty years. The period may be lengthened by a more economical use of iron,' new discoveries in smelting methods, or the discovery of* fresh ore fields, but the writer in the ! German review thinks it would be foolI ish to 'build too much hope on these J possibilities. Of course he has not taken ! Hie Parapara fields into account. These fields contain the richest iron deposits that arc known in t.he southern hemisphere, and probably the richest thiit exist in the world. They lie only about a mile from the sea. and bordering the iron is a great quantity of valuable i limestone, while only six miles awnv 'there is a magnificent seam of conl. The Government Geologist, iu speaking of the deposits some time ago, said tliat, in comparison with the American jand European mines, Parapara should [hold a commanding position in the iron ! world in a very short time. "In our future exports,"* he added, "I would venture to say that pig-iron and manufactured iron will exceed any of our other exports, Muding .frozen meat and dairy produce. It is impossible to set an estimate of the quantity of iron at Parapara. Millions and millions of tons are in sight ready for the smelter." lit certainly looks as if New Zealand would- be able to save the world from an iron famine for many years to come.