ISLAND PROSPHATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 4

ISLAND PROSPHATES.

NEW ZEALAND IMPORTATIONS,

1 IMPROVEMENTS IN DISCHARGE. Details of operations under Government < ownership at Nauru and Ocean Islands 1 are given by Mr. A. F. Ellis, New Zealand Commissioner, British Phosphate '> Commission, in' the annual report of the '' Department ot' Agriculture tabled in the House of Representatives this week. The ; year terminated on June 30 last, and the ; shipments compare' with the two previous ' years as follow:— i 1932-33. 1933-34. 1034-35. Tons. Tons. Tons. ; Nauru 430,100 379,100 457,900 . Ocean 224,200 177,489 237,982 Total . . 000,300 050,589 059,582 The latest figures represent a substantial , increase of 35,582 tons over the previous highest total, and in view of the ex- , pending demand for phosphatie fertilisers a further increase in output from the two islands is being aimed at for the current year. Distribution of output was as : follows: Australia, 422,861 tons; NewZealand, 214,621 tons; other 'countries, 58,400 tons. - The proportion of the output which 1 came to New Zealand was 30.84 per cent, as compared with 26.95 per cent for 1932-33, and 26.76 per cent for 1933-34. Importations to New Zealand compared with the two previous years are:— 1932-33. 1933-34. 1934-35. Tons. Tons. Tons. Nauru-Ocean. 18-1,388 149,80-5 201,005 Outsid * pliosphato 13,903 — — Total . . 198,351 149,505 201,005 Favourable weather and good health conditions prevailed at the islands during the period under review; lubour conditions were also satisfactory. The Nauru loading cantilever continues to give excellent results, and it was now a frequent occurrence for vessels to arrive in the early morning and leave the same evening with a cargo of from 8000 to 9000 tons. In New Zealand ports there had been further improvements in the rate of discharge, favourably influencing tonnage arrangements.