NAURU PHOSPHATES.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 April 1921, Page 5

NAURU PHOSPHATES.

HANDLING IN NEW ZEALAND* A TARANAKI SCHEME. PLANT AT NEW PLYMOUTH. An interesting discussion took place at yesterday’s meeting of the Taranaki provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union on the question of obtaining further information from the Government with a view to considering the advisability or otherwise of establishing a grinding plant in Taranaki to deal with Nauru phosphates, in order that the farmers would be enabled to purchase the phosphates at the lowest possible cost. The matter was introduced by Mr. T. W. Owen, who stated that as it had been made public that the Nauru phosphates were being imported in the raw state at £4 5s per ton, he thought the executive should concern Uself to dee in what way the fanners could combine and treat the phosphate in Taranaki. In its raw state the phosphate was not of much use to the farmers but he saw no reason why it should not be landed direct at New Plymouth and treated there, thus enabling the farmers to purchase it at the lowest possible cost. Mr. Massey had done a great act in securing for the farmery of New Zealand the raw phosphates, but it was for them to see that the farmers did not pay too high a price for it after it had been treated. He suggested that the secretary should get into touch with the Agricultural Department and ascertain whether it was advisable to erect a plant at New Plymouth for treating the phosphate on its arrival.

The president (Mr. R. Dunn) thought the , machinery would be too expensive for there to be many plants in the Dominion. The Government was arranging for private firms to treat the phosphate in some places, but where private firms were not taking the matter up the Government would instal plants. The phosphate had to be ground very fine before it would be available as a plant food, and in order to convert it into Superphosphate it had to have a considerable quantity of sulphuric acid added, which was an expensive business. He understood that the Fertiliser Company had decided to sell the finished article at the same price throughout the Dominion as would be charged at Auckland. Mr. E. Maxwell said the matter was very serious and he did not know exactly how to tackle it. The greatest cost was in the addition of the sulphuric acid, and he personally felt that the farmers were not going to get it at the price they should. The fertiliser companies were going to charge the full market price, which was a. serious matter, and it was possible that this might mean a combination of exclusive firms which could put the price up to anything it liked.

The chairman: No. Mr. Massey says he is going to watch the farmers’ interests.

Mr. Maxwell said he did not doubt Mr. Massey’s sincerity, but it was not likely to be the case in practice. If certain firms took the matter up exclusively his fear was that the price to the farmer would be very high. He criticised the manner in which the fertiliser companies -were going about the matter, stating that they were putting an unduly large amount on to the cost. If the phosphate was landed direct at New Plymouth and crushed there by an inexpensive plant, it might be useful to the farmers in that form. In that way the farmers would gain an advantage, but if it was handled by private firms in Auckland and other places the repeated handling would mean a high cost. He did not know what a grinding plant would cost, hut he thought they could get the simplest kind of plant at New Plymouth, land the crude phosphate there, and handle direct tp the consumers. Just what was the value of the ground phosphate without being converted ' into superphosphate he could not say, but if it was necessary to erect works to treat the phosphate with sulphuric acid the cost would be tOo great, as he understood it would be in the vicinity of £500,090. But if it was useful to the farmers after heing ground into a fine powder, tjien it should be treated at New Plymouth. He believed it would prove a valuable manure in that fornf. . In reply to Mr. D. L. A. Astbury, Mr. Maxwell said the cost of a grinding plant would be small; the same kind of plant as was used for grinding limestone would be available.

Mr. Owen said the department had its own agricultural chemists, and he thought the executive should apply to them for information, pointing out that they were anxious that the fanner should get the phosphate at the lowest cost possible. Mr. Maxwell moved that the secretary write to the Agricultural Department asking for the following information regarding the Nauru phosphates: (1) Its manorial value in crushed state finely ground; (2) the approximate coat of a plant to crush and grind it; and (3) cost of a plant for treating it into superphosphate. The motion was seconded by Mr. Owen and carried.