IMPERIAL BOARD OF TRADE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15490, 18 January 1916, Page 7

IMPERIAL BOARD OF TRADE.

PURCHASES IN NEW ZEALAND. SHIPMENTS OF MEAT, CHEESE, AND TUNG STEP ORE. (.spkciai. to "the rnE.SS.' ; ) WELLINGTON, January 17. The Imperial meat, supply branch c>tabli.shed by the Government to control the purchase and export of meat for the Imperial Board of Trade, has lately had its sphere of activity enlarged, for it is now dealing not only with frozen meat, but with cheese, and with tungsten ores, which have been requisitioned for the British NN ar Office.

Tho total .shipments of meat to date are 420,303 quarter.-, of beef, 2,555.460 carcascs of mutton, and .1,245,1 29 carcases of lamb, and tho total payments amount to £6,480,395. Of steamers in which this meat has been carried, 53 have arrived in England, 13 are on the way, and i Limerick, Corinthie, Ruahine, Paparoa, Xerohana, Pakehn, and Indrabarah — are loading in New Zealand ports. Estimates have been obtained of the quantity of meat in the stores in New Zealand on January 15th, and the total is 656.560 freight carcascs of all ciasses of meat. In February eight steamers are expected for loading on this coast, with a total capacity of 794,000 freight carcases, and in March nine steamers are expected, with a total capacity of 929,000 freight carcases. It is considered that, with this space available in ships, and with increased storage space at many of tho works there should l>e no congestion such as was experienced in the early months of last year.

Shipments of chccso have been sent forward in twelve steamers. The total quantity shipped was 46,4(54 crates, ot a total value of £244,280. 'The total order of the Army Council is for 15,<JdU tons, of which, approximately, a quarter has been sent. Tho branch deals with 270 dairy companies, and, according to the capacity of their factories, these companies arc required to find their proportion of the whole amount of 15,0 CX) tons. Tho deal in scheclite is a much smaller affair, but it is a great deal more complex than the cheese and meat business. Scheelite is quartz, liko ore, from which tungsten, or tungstic acid, which is used in the manufacture of special steels, is obtained. Before the war such scheclite as wo exported went to Germany, and British manufacturers of high-speed steels obtained their supplies of tungsten mainly from Germany. After the war had been going on for some months, steps were taken to set up plants in England for the tieatment of tungsten ores and concentrates. It was hoped that enough tungsten ores would be obtainable within tho Empire to meet e v en the present abnormal demand, and that hope has been justified. The production of scheelito in New Zealand is 30 tons per month, at which rate the production can bo maintained for some time. The ore is paid for according to tho amount of tungstic acid it contains, and the Imperial Government insists all scheelite purchased to its order shall contain at least 60 per cent, of tungstic acid. The price is 65s ner unit unit. If a ton of scheelite contains 60 per cent, of tungstic acid the Government pays CO times 65s per ton, or £195 per ton. Because of this method of payment, analysis of the\ore is of great importance. The scheelite submitted- for sale is held by the Mines Department until the Government Analyst can analyse it to ascertain whether it contains the required percentage of tungsten. Tho results ot this analysis are forwarded to the Imperial Supply Branch, and the scheelite is ship peel Home, for none has ever yet been found to be below the 60 per cent, standard. The analysis here is, however, only a trial one, and the Imperial Government pay on their own analysis. But the men who find tho scheelite here cannot afford to wait for months for their money, and the Government here makes to them as big an advance as possible against the estimated value. A final adjustment is made when account sales come out from Home. Scheelite is found often in small deposits as outcroos at high altitudes sometimes along with cold. Many of tho men who find it are prospectors without means, and some such arrangement as thii has been found necessary. The total quantity of scheelite shipped up till the t> re sent. is 66 tons 13 cwt, of a value of £13,516.