IRON ORE DEPOSITS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 285, 25 April 1911, Page 7

IRON ORE DEPOSITS

THE QUESTION OF NATIONALISATION. RESOLUTION BY LABOR CONFERENCE. OPINIONS OF IRONMASTERS. ■ Christchurch, April 22. A resolution was passed yesterday by I the Trades and Labor Federation Conference, expressing the hope that the ironmasters of the Dominion would cooperate with organised labor towards the nationalisation of natural iron ores existent in the Dominion. Conference had just previously passed a resolution supporting the increased protection of the iron industry, and the nationalisation'proposal was brought on. Subse-quently-the subject was discussed with a reporter by two prominent ironmasters Of Christchurch. Mr. George Smith, jun., president of the local branch of the Ironmasters' Association, said that there was a good deal to be said in favor of the proposal, and he believed that it was the duty ot the 'State to take the matter up. The quality of iron ore and sand deposits in the Dominion was exceptionally good, aWd'''iße;: existence in the Dominion of Targe'' coal supplies, 1 and at present ti'n"deVefcpe'd''power, should enable deposits ■;t» be worked as cheaply as they could] •y-any-wHere else. The most prominent 'Obstacle • 'wit's ' thnt the consumption of "pig-ifdiv iri'New Zealand was not large] '•at 'present, and to put up works would; 'entail'*' big 'expense!' If, however, thel 'tariff was reformed to give a 33 l'3rdj • per ''Cent, increased protection to the •'ifeh industry, he had no hesitation in ; saving that there would be three times •ai'much pig-iron consumed in New Zeai'U'fldl,[,ilii- the meantime, however, the stSorfevaition of iron ore deposits was aii "nnpiwtanr, question, and in that connection the State could render a very good! sdrviee. l ' '-' MrjiG. T. Booth remarked that there i'sefettcd to be little hope at or 'for'sometime-to come, of the run ore "■ deposits of the Dominion being worked "<(6 commercial advantage, either by the Government or by private cnurprwu. 'The ! Onlyi Way in which it voM be possible to 1 realise upon this asset wculd be'the sale of ore. That, of course, 1 would meait the depleting of ana of the •'natural- resources of the Dominion, ■'which; 1 in'time'to come, when tiia nipunttitfem rhad-increased very much beyond the limit, would be very valuable. > In vicjw of that fact it might be desirable that the Government should take'some-steps to prevent the depletion of this-natural product with a view to the material: being worked up for local consumption in the future, when the commercial condition of the Dominion warranted it. New Zealand imported its'present supplies of iron with the ex-ception-Of'old Iron. As far as the immediate working of deposits was conceraed'/ the position was that a very 'tege* plant womld be necessary. If •sttelting was to be done so that pig-iron co-fid-Compete with imported stuff, a plant" which l could work economically enough-to -do that would produce as much irdii'ln a : month as would be used) «in--'New'Zealand in a year. The time " When New' Zealand would ibfei'd' 'big maufneturing place and its nrott, ore 'deposite' would be of value to 4tl"At present there was no shortage of 'irorf; Ore' throughout the world. The exvporfei'tft <W£ from New 'Zealand might tiring iiy it low profit, but it would be 'Exhausting a 1 national resource which in I 'course-of time would become valuahle.