MINISTER OF DEFENCE'.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1916, Page 4

MINISTER OF DEFENCE'.

BUSY DAY IN NEW PLYMOUTH.

VISIT TO IRONSAND AND OH. INDUSTRIES.

The Hon. .T»a Allen, Minister for Dft* fence, who visited New Plymouth yesterday, accompanied by liia private tee'etary (Mr. P. S. Dixon), had a busy day. He motored through from Stratford early in the morning, and was met beyond Egmont Villagobv Mr. 0. E. Burgess (Mayor of New Plymouth), and Mr. H. J. Okcy < /M,P,. and then motored up to the North Egmont Mountain House. After breakfaßt at the new hostelry the Minister visited the old house. _ This was his first visit to the mountain, and ho expresead himself as delighted with the trip. Reaching New Plymouth shortly after ten a.m., the partv motored out to Moturoa to visit the ironsand works, whore a demonstration took place, and also the Blenheim oil bore, At the ironsand works, the molten metal had been tapped just prior to the arrival of the party. So interested was the Hon. •!. Allen, that he decided to visit tho works later in the afternoon. At the Blen. heim bore, the party were mot by Mr, E. Griffiths (managing director) and other directors. The excellent gu« flow, from a depth nf 4250 ft (more than half the height of Mt. Egmont). a« well as the fact that the bore is producing five barrels daily from higher levels was brought under the notice' of the Minis, ter, who appeared keenly interested in what ho saw.

Returning to town the Minister At. tended a meeting of the Recruiting Committee, aftenvaTds visltins the rlflo range at Wniwakniho, with the president of the Agricultural Society (Mr. .T, Connett). In the afternoon, he addressed a meeting in the Th-atre, ,n> 1 at 5.30 p.m., was again at the ironwork'. There wore present at the iVmoietr;. tion. Mr. Geo. Frnser, of Auckland, Ue. N. P. Heskett, patentee of Mie process as well as visitors from « ~tml Christchnrch, Wellington, and Napier. A very successful run took nlao' ♦ho fourth during the day. In ail -"mo i,*, tons of pig iron was produced,.-. Th, Minister was keenly interested ajid '<•». quired as to the ouantlties of sund available, the methods of mixinc, the prnparation of the ore for smelting am) the subsequent pig iron, and expressed himself n R perfectly satisfied with what he had seen.

In the evening the Minister "ttend"'i the Veterans' gathering, afterward* speaking at Ihe Theatre "Fovbl. Mr. Allen subsequently left for AucVl-vd h* the Rarawa.