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The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1917. BAD NEWS FOR GERMANY.

In a speech by the Minister of Munitions, given in the House of Commons, on June 28th last, there was some very cold comfort for the enemy. Hitherto Britain has relied on Germany for potash, for example, and a week or so ago the German papers were telling a credulous people that the Allied scheme having for its object the isolation of Germany was foredoomed to failure owing to the absolute dependence of' the other nations on Germany for supplies of raw ma. terials. Well, owing to pure science and industrial research, Germany's best customer in the future for potash will be herself! Again, England is now producing about fifteen times the pre-war quantity of sulphuric acid, and this increased supply should lead to the establishment of an important group of new industr •. In 1913 Germany imported something like 000,000 tons of sodium nitrate; she had, on the declaration of war a vast reserve of manufactured ammunition, and about 600,000 tons of nitrate in stock. When Antwerp was taken the most welcome find in the city was 250,000 tons of the material; during the first few months of war about 200,000 tons more were imported before the British blockade got to work in earnest. In 1914 her home production was about 100,000 tons yearly, and sines then by the exploitation of three different methods, Germany is producing 1,500.000 tons of fixed nitrogen annually. It is admirable progress. Unfortunately for the German point of view, Britain has also made progress in the same direction. Very soon her annual production of steel will be double the pre-war figure, and it is hoped that in the near future she will be able to supply all her needs so far as spelter or commercial zinc is concerned; the Empire is being ransacked for raw materials, and science is being encouraged in its efforts to provide ways and means whereby our natural wealth may be commercially exploited to the utmost. In the course of a recent speech the Minister of Munitions committed himself to the statement that: —"We have suffered in the war not only from old-fashioned plants and negligent financial methods, but from a serious neglect of research and scientific work as applied to industry."

system yielded £2 for every £1 drawn from the 1404 miles of main lines in the south. Reduced to a mileage basis the net earnings of the north and south main trunk systems compare as follows: Every North Island Main Trunk mile earns, uet> .. .. '£lo3l Every South Island Main Trunk mile earns, net ~, .. £4OO Finally the interest on cost of construction is for the North Island main lines and branches nearly 71 per cent., while the interest earned by the South Island main lines and branches, even with the assistance of war-time fares and freights has not yet reached 4 per cent. Such figures should convince the most hardened of politicians, the most callous oi' political wire-pullers. Were our Ministers and members of Parliament anxious to serve the State, and provide railway facilities where they are most urgently needed, the comparison of earning power between the North and South Island systems would be final and decisive. The northern traffic, requires the rimnin" a train mileage 01 per cent, greater than tin; southern, yet the length of opened line in the south is 20 per cent, more than in the north.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19170910.2.18

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1917, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
572

The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1917. BAD NEWS FOR GERMANY. Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1917. BAD NEWS FOR GERMANY. Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1917, Page 4

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