"MUST HAVE IT."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 176, 26 July 1940, Page 9

"MUST HAVE IT."

SAYS MR. SULLIVAN.

IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY,

INVESTIGATIONS PROCEEDING

—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, tliis day

J hi- country must have an iron and steel industry, and if 1 am allowed to influence the position it will have one," declared the Minister of Industries and ( omineree, Mr. Sullivan, in the House of Representatives yesterday, in replv to questions asked by Mr. Holland (Opposition, t'liristchureh North), about the state of the industry and its future

Holland sought information

about the negotiations with the property owners and the quantities of ore available, and whether the original

estimates regarding ore hacl been supported by the (-urveys. He questioned the advisability of spending a further

£S0(H) nn survey* when there was no project of the industry being opened

The Minister said that the internal ■oiiomy of the Dominion would not be

complete without an iron and steel industry. So far an ore supplies were concerned there had been disappointment after disappointment. At first

they were thought to be limitless, and when they got down to figures those

igures were substantially reduced. "We ;ried to make absolutely sure of our

ground," said Mr. Sullivan, "and that is why were are carrying on the preliminary investigations. We want to get as near certainty as we reasonably can."

Large Quantities of Ore. He said that they had proof that quantities of from ten million to twelve

million tons of ore existed, and there were other quantities that scientifically would (substantially increase that amount. Put the Government was taking nothing for granted. It had to go on with its investigations even though it was not intended to build a plant in the immediate future.

The Minister said that it was estimated that they had used as much as 20 to 23 per cent of iron sand, and it was proposed to use a larger percentage of .sand with the ore. "We have

increased quantities of iron sand," said the Minister, "and with the iron sand and ore that vc have got I say we can still have an iron and steel industry, even if we have to import a email amount of iron ore. The profitable partof making steel is the finished product." Mr. Poison (Opposition, Stratford): What is that twelve million tons?

The Minister: Iron ore.