COAL BY-PRODUCTS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19459, 5 November 1928, Page 12

COAL BY-PRODUCTS.

j THEIR UTILISATION* t ~ A COMPANY FORMEp. 'A new industry of great potential importance to the Dominion generally and to the West Coast in particular is now-in process of organisation.' This is the utilisation of coal by-products, lu s statement made to a Wellington newspaper, Sir Joseph Ward said that it> had been his principal mission to London to endeavour to establish in New Zealand the most modern process for the utilisation of-coal by-products in this country. Every class of coal in New Zealand was by no means suitable for the manufacturing purposes to be undertaken. The directors of the new company, of which he was chairman, had acquired an extensive coal area at Westport, samples of coal from which had .been, sent ahead to Englapd for analysis by a groat financial organisation which'had- also made its omif experiments in " its London laboratory from supplies ob'tained and sent Wmjer seal to tnem direct by the New ' Zealand board. A cable had recently been received stating th&t the results were in every way eminently' Satisfactory. • Before Sir Joseph Ward left"England , the whole of the financial were completed for the purchase 'of' machinery, the erection of works, and the capital to carry on the company in New Zetland Tho,company's engineer, Mr ( Leonard C. Harvey, leaves England for New Zealand by the Orama on. November 10th, to carry out the London directors' instructions.

A aite for the erection of the works and plant at Petone has been secured, and it is probable that the works will be erected there. This point, however, is one which will not be definitely settled until the arrival of the company's engineer. i Sir Joseph Ward said he had arranged for the whole of the capital in London The English company with ftbfcb they were working has already erected eight separate plants—five in America, one in London, one in the Sontb of England, and one in Germany. They had all been successful. Hie company owned and controlled the patent machinery, and the process was iwally s wonderful one. It. produced ?[uito a number of saleable articles rom the New Zealand coal, including the following:—Metallurgical coke, nookeless fuel, petrol, sulphate of .ammonia, naphtha, creasote carbolic. nnd disinfectant sheep-dip, pitch, and other products. In the opinion of the experts;be had consulted in London, the was the finest, and most remarkable of its kind in the world. The English company had already some millions invested in the establishment of plants.'elsewhere, to which he had referred, and they had agreed to carry nut the whole undertaking in New Zealand. • , The directors of the company are Sir Joseph Ward (chairman), Messrs £ J. B. Norwood (.Wellington). J. A; Kednath. L. B. Hart. H. H.'Barlow. H. Undrill. B. B. Wood, G. Scott fall m Christ church), and J. R. Bruce (Timaru).