MALAYAN TIN MINES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1945, Page 3

MALAYAN TIN MINES

RESTORATION DISCUSSED Restoration of the tin industry of Malaya was one of the principal subjects discussed at the annual meeting of the Malayan Chamber of Mines, held in London recently. Reopening of the industry is important, not only to Australia and Malaya, but to tin users throughout the world. Australians pioneered the tinmining industry in the Far East and Australian investors have more than £12,000,000 of capital locked up in the industry in Malaya and Siam. Before the war there was active dealing in tin shares on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. Malaya normally produced about onethird of world tin supplies. I Reviewing the chamber's report, the Financial Times says it is obvious that it is in the general interest that the Malayan tin mines should be restored to active production at the earliest possible opportunity, the date of which is necessarily contingent on the defeat of Japan. At this stage, certain details have inevitably to be left in suspense, such as the exact amount of compensation which may be payable to concerns that have suffered physical damage to plant and equipment through enemy or other milit£ The Office has expressed the intention of the Government to assist in making good the damage done, and discussions between a committee appointed by the council representatives of the Colonial Office and the Civil Affairs Malayan Planning Unit have been fruitful to the extent that the urgency for early action has been fully appreciated by all parties. The termination of the war with Japan should thus see a policy already formulated and capable of translation into immediate practical effect. Such a policy will have regard to the nature and extent of financial assistance and priorities forthcoming, and will have to be devised with a view to the time lag, which in the case of constrnrtion of dredges may require from two to three and a half years. This is about the time required to introduce a new demand for tin, and consequently the technical reconstruction interval need not be wasted.