PHOSPHATE MANURES.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1920, Page 8

PHOSPHATE MANURES.

ERECTING) CRUSHING PLANTS, GOVERNMENT MAY HELP i ;l . FINANCIALLY. " . (By Wire.—Parliamentary Beportev.) Wellington, Aug. 4. Mr. Massey made a statement in the House early on Saturday morning regarding phosphate supplies. He reminded members that Britain, Australia and Now Zealand had purchased Nauru Island and Ocean Island, and everything connected with them. The cost to the three countries had been £3,600,000, and the share of New Zealand was; £600,COO, or thereabouts. The original arrangement was that this country should receive IB per cent, of the output of Nauru, but New Zealand had been rather lucky since. Now it was to have 10 jor cent, of the output of the tw.o Islands, which was quite a different thing. When the representatives of tlie three countries met in London they would take over on behalf of their respective countries, and the business would be carried on. At present New Zealand' was just feeling its way. There was not sufficient crushing machinery in the country to-day to meet requiremeilfc. Anything but rough crushing at the Islands was impracticable. If the phosphate was crushed fine at the Islands it was apt to get wet, and when it got wet it deteriorated. The climate was a wet one, and, moreover, the stuff had bo lightered from the shore to. the ship. Many private firms in this country were making preparations to treat the phosphate. At Auckland crushing works were nearly ready, and works were being erected at Otahuhu. Another firm intended to establish works in Taranaki, and there would be Bmall works: at Dunedin and Christchurch. As far as lie could see it would be a year or two before there would be enough plant to supply the country with what it required. At the present, time the Government was waiting to see what would be done by private enterprise. If the amount of plant established by private enterprise proved insufficient other arrangements will be necessary. Mr. Mitchell (Wellington South) asked what was likely to be the price to the farmer. Mr. Massey replied that the question was a very difficult one to answer. It had been pointed out to him that freights were very much higher now than before the war. and that even the labor on the Islands was paid for now at a higher rate than -(-hat ruling in 1914. He did not want to encourage hopes that might be disappointed, but he though! it would be possible to effect a reduction of 30s a ton on the present prices. Mr. Hamilton (Awarna) told the Prime Minister that Avhat the farmers were most concerned about was the question of distribution of the phosphate in New JC nn la ml. Mr. Massey said that the Agricultural Department would take charge of the distribution. There were about a dozen firms in various parts of the country offering to carry on the work of distribution at a very low rate. Mr. Hamilton said that the farmers wanted to be sure that they would not be under any obligation to pome firm with a monopoly of the distribution. They were quite willing to put up their own crushing plants if there was no other way out of the difficulty. They wanted to be quite certain that they would not have to go to some particular firm to get the manure. Mr. Massey said that the solution of the matter would be the erection by the farmers of tliir own crushing plant. If came to that, the Government was prepared to back them financially. Mr. Hamilton: That is what we want. A little later Mr. Massey said that there were in New Zealand large supplies of sulphur available foif the conversion of Ihe phosphate into superphosI nliate. He was not referring to White Island- Tt would not be reasonable to ' ask men to work there after the disaster that occurred a year or two ago, but, there were laree quantities of suli phur in the Taupo district on land that | the Government had acquired from the 'Natives.