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Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1939, Page 8

Reference was made by a visiting monumental mason in an interview at Gore recently to the question of whether New Zealand can supply sufficient high class granite to meet its own needs in view of the 100 per cent restrictions imposed on imports. Although New Zealand had some firstclass granite deposits, he said, there was not sufficient quarrying machinery in the Dominion to produce it in the required quantities. The machinery for a properly-equipped granite quarry would cost many thousands of pounds. Another difficulty was that so far none of the existing quarries had gone deep enough into the stone, with the result that the best quality granite had not yet been tapped. In the circumstances he thought that it would be necessary for the Government to allow sufficient granite into the country for building purposes and for tombstones and monuments, as it would take a considerable time for the industry to develop in New Zealand.