PHOSPHATES FROM NAURU.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1921, Page 5

PHOSPHATES FROM NAURU.

FEELING THE BENEFIT. FREIGHT RATE QUESTION. It is only just now, Raid the Director of Agriculture (Dr. C. J. Reakes), in a hrief statement to the New Zealand Farmers* Union Conference in Wellington, that the real influence of the Government purchase of Nauru and Ocean Island phosphates was beginning to make itself felt. It had to be remembered that though the mandate had been granted a. very considerable time ago, there had been delay caused by nego nations between the Imperial Government and the Pacific Phosphate Company.

Up to the present time only two cargoes of Nauru phosphate had come to this country under the new arrangement The position would rapidly become very much better. The purchase of the phosphate in the two islands was undoubtedly one of the finest things that the Government hail done for the farmers of New Zealand.— (Delegate: Hear! hear!) —and the farmers were already beginning to benefit. By the time of the next conference he thought they would see the phosphate coming into this country in large quantities, and being very extensively used.

The price of the phosphate in New Zealand naturally depended very much on the cost of freight and the amount ' of handling the phosphate had to undergo. The Government had been able to get fhe best freight rates by contracting . for the carriage of cargoes of not less . than 4000 tons. Therefore, supposing that a fanner or a farmers’ organise- ! tion wanted 250 or 500 tons, it was not , such an easy matter to supply this | quantity unless the Government could i get somebody else to order sufficient to ■ make up the balance of a shipment. The Government could not. of course, bring the phosphate to the country piecemeal. | It had been, suggested that the Govern- ; ment might bring the phosphate and | distribute it from store. That, however, ' would mean added cost, for labor, and , perhaps e.Wra railage. The price of the ■ phosphate was falling at the main ports with each successive freight con tract. The last price was 81s. The freight I contracts were for periods of six months ' only, as the Government realised that , the freight market was falling.