EXPORT OF PHOSPHATE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 June 1938, Page 3

EXPORT OF PHOSPHATE

A RECORD SHIPMENT (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 13. “With the shipping of 153,000 tons of phosphate last month from Nauru and Oceans Islands, the previous monthly record was easily exceeded,” said Sir Albert Ellis, New Zealand Commissioner on the British Phosphate Commission. Sir Albert estimated that for the year ending June 30 a record total of 1,200,000 tons would be exported. More than 80 per cent of the phosphate is imported into Australia and New Zealand, said Sir Albert, and there was every prospect that the amounts would continue to increase. Over 1,000,000 tons were exported from the islands for the year ended June 30 1937, an output which surpassed the previous annual record of 140,000 tons. “Dominion imports for the curren' year have exceeded 300,000 tons,” he continued, “and Australia, has taken nearly three times as much.” New machinery was installed at Nauru last year to facilitate production and the export of phosphate. Demand had continued to increase to such an extent that it had been decided to make a further material increase to the plant at Nauru.