TARANAKI IRONSAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 62, 31 July 1912, Page 6

TARANAKI IRONSAND.

To the Editor. Sir..—ln reply to "C.W.W.'s" letter on the above subject, I think someone haa misinformed him. It was Mr. Thomas Oldfield, not "Olafield," and Mr. Hipkins, not "Hopkins," who were connected -with ■ the.ironsand. Want of capital killed the first companies, and not the expease of producing the iron; and I defy "C.W.W." to prove that pig iron will cost £2O or £3O a ton. If it did I would not trouble to write this letter. As regards his query re that 300 tons turned out, this at once shows me. that "C.W.W." is not conversant With the different trials, of the sand. The time that Hipkins was ■brought! here—he did not otfer his Services—he was brought here 'by some of my father's so-called friends to try and push my father out ;and Hipkins'made a muddle of it, and they sent for my father on a Sunday to come and take charge of the furnace; and on the Sunday night, in front of a couple of thousand people, my father ran 60 tons of pig iron. I remember that night well, although I was a boy, and I walked home with Mr. Fred, Okey, of the firm of Okey and Rollo that is now. Mr. Okey reckoned that there was CO or 70 tons run. Then there were the Oldfield and the Onehunga trials. If "C.W.W." will accept an invitation and come to my place next Sunday, I will convince him as regards the quantity of iron produced. But I am afraid that the gentleman has set out to be nasty over the subject. His reference to the late A, J. Cadman's unprecedented efforts savors of it. Also his reference to the late gentleman's title. I strongly advise him to sign his name in full, as C.W.W. stands for a "cynic's weary wail."—l am, etc., T. P. SMITH.