EXPLOSIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 80, 16 January 1936, Page 3

EXPLOSIVES.

NEW TYPE TO BE USED. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 15. It has been decided by the Government that in the interests of public safety a modified non-freezing type of explosive, employed in mining and for other similar purposes, will in future be supplied for the New Zealand market. Negotiations were recently concluded with Nobcls (Australasia) Proprietary, Ltd., the firm which supplies practically all the explosives used in New Zealand. The, Minister of Interna! Affairs (the Hon. \Y. E. Parry) stated to-day that tlie decision was come to as a result of rigid tests by State experts. The position now would be that the lead given by Britain would lie followed. in future only polar types of explosives would lie approved for importation into Zealand, except for special purposes. The Minister said that the Departmental records showed that the. number (if accidents occurring in the use of explosives was always higher during the winter than in the summer. It was probable that the majority of these were due to the explosive used rV'ing either frozen or in a ''chilled" condition, in which if was less sensitive than normally to explosion by a detonator. The Minister added that as an old miner he realised to the full the value of the advance which had been made in the production ol" a nonfreezing explosive. He had little doubt that the use of the improved type would result in much greater freedom from accident in the future.