TREATING PHOSPHATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 December 1920, Page 8

TREATING PHOSPHATES.

LOCALITY OF WORKS.

SHIPMENTS FROM NAURU.

Phosphate rock is shipped in bulk in its raw migrouiul statu from Nauru Island. Various suggestions have been mad» in New Zealand recently that works should be established on the island for treating the material and shipping it in the form of cither superphosphate or else finely ground raw phospliats. Mr. V F. Ellis, New Zealand Commissioner for Nauru, discusses these suggest ; ons in an informative article in the Journal of Agriculture. He writes: "The argument commonly used in favor of the proposal is that labor is cheaper on the island than it is in New Zealand. While this is true, there are good reasons why tie present system should be continued As regards superphosphateworks, a small island in the middle of the ocean, without a harbor and where many difficulties are encountered which naturally do not pertain to the mainland, is about the last place to select for the erection and running of what would necessarily need to be elaborate and extensive works. At the present time a good deal of material has to be landed at the island, and it is found by experience that practically as much labor is involved in landing one ton as in shipping about ten tons of phosphate. Super-phosphate-works would entail the landing of large quantities of sulphur and other material, besides employing many more men under conditions which are necessarily more expensive than on the mainland. The same objections apply to some extent to the proposal to grind finely the phosphates on the island so that it may be ready for use on arrival at New Zealand. A further drawback to the proposal is that phosphate in that condition would have to be shipped in bags, other-

wise most of it would blow away during tne operation of shipping. Experience has shown, that it is very much glower to ship phosphate in bags than in bulk, owing to the peculiar conditions prevailing on the island, and therefore it is inadvisable to (change the 'Jphosphate from a condition in which it is easy to handle to the reverse condition

"Tho principal factor in delivering cheap phosphate must of necessity be. the steamer freight, and in order to secure the lowest possible rates all arrangements must be made at the. island with the view of giving the quickest possible despatch to the, vessels. Quick shipping is therefore the <rux of the situation, am 1 nothing must be allowed to come in its way. While a shortage of fertiliser-works in Xew Zealand has been in the past, and still is, a serious drawback, it is gradually being overcome, and it is hoped that in the near future works at the various centres will be capable of dealing with all the raw phosphate brought into the Dominion. Fertiliser-works should there-, fore be situated at seaports close to farming centres, in order to avoid coastal freights'and to minimise railway freights, but only at such seaports as can take vessels with a carry-capacity 01 not loss than 4000 tons." !i