WILFUL WASTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 20, 18 July 1911, Page 3

WILFUL WASTE.

To the Editor. Sir,—A letter signed. "Progress" in your issue of to-day (the 17th) says that, in his opinion, it would be a good advertisement for the district if ships were allowed to load pure ironsand as ballast and to show the outside world at the same time what duffers we are. He also says that perhaps' some' foreign ironmaster would discover some simple, process of how to treat the sand. Is the writer in earnest, or is he ignorant of facts? Every schoolboy in Taranaki knows that the E. M. Smith process is the simplest and cheapest method of making iron out of these sands. I might I state that. Messrs. J. C. Smith and Tweedale have perfected an electrical process whereby steel can he made direct from the furnace. This is not done in any part of the world at present, and' the nation that can produce steel direct has the other nations at her feet. Pos-1 sibly "Progress" is not aware that 300 tons of black sand contain 20 tons of raw platinum sand, and as commercial platinum is worth 30 per cent, more than gold at £4 2s Ckl an.ounce, T suppose he will still maintain that it will pay us to give away not only platinum, but gold and silver as well," leaving out the steel. Now, Mr. Editor, if the authorities allow this vessel to.be loaded with golden treasure such as these sands are a mass meeting will have, to be held to bring them to a sense of their duties as trustees of the public's property. Finally, let the Margit be ballasted with grey drift sand, and no one will suffer any pecuniary loss, as we must husband our resources for the use of our genernation and those we leave behind.—l am, etc., "VIGILANT."