ATOMIC ENERGY BILL

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24742, 6 December 1945, Page 4

ATOMIC ENERGY BILL

URANIUM LOCATED ON WEST COAST

USE IN NEW ZEALAND SOON PREDICTED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. Dec. 5. "There -is no doubt that Within a year or two of receiving sufficient uranium to carry on, officers of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department will be harnessing atomic energy here in New Zealand," said the Acting-Minister of Mines (the Hon, J. O'Brien), moving the second reading of the Atomic Energy Bill in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The Minister said extensive prospecting for uranium had alreedy been carried out, and indicated that considerable supplies were available on the West Coast. Prospecting operations were continuing. The Minister said atomic energy was of such extraordinary importance that there had been a search for deposits of uranium throughout the world. The largest deposits had been located in Canada, and were of such importance to Canada that they had been taken out of the hands of a private company which owned the land near.the Great Lakes on which the deposits occurred. Until 1944 no deposits of uranium had been reported in New Zealand, but through the remarkable efforts of Dr. Marsden much preliminary prospecting had been cawied out since the importance of uranium as a, source of atomic energy was recognised. -He was not prepared to say that prospects were so good as to ensure plentiful supplies of uranium or other radioactive ores, but officers of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department had been scouring the country searching for this mineral. The best results to date had been obtained from alluvial gravel and sands, especially on the West Coast. This alluvial gravel and sand had been prospected to a fair extent and uranium had been traced along most of the West Coast of the South Island, particularly in black sands, some of which indicated a very high percentage of uranium.

Dredge Tailings Concentrates in dredge tailings had also been tested, and indicated very fair prospects for uranium. It had been estimated that 8001b of uranium a year could be recovered from the tailings of one dredge now operating on the West Coast, and there was room for 20 such dredges in the valley where that dredge was now active. If it became essential for us to have uranium, 20 dredges could be set to work there. Incidentally, the dredge now operating in that valley was one of the best paying ones on the West Coast to-day in the recovery of gold.

Mr O'Brien said he did not like to see valleys being destroyed by dredging operations, but this 7 articular valley was already threatened for farming by repeated floods. It should be remembered that land worked over by a dredge was not lost for future production. It might be no good for farming, but dredge tailings grew excellent timber, and there was power to oblige dredgers to replace the topsoil over metal tailings. Mr O'Brien said that if the demand for uranium became imperative in the future there were possibilities of recovering eight metric tons, a year from the particular valley he had mentioned. There were hundreds of other' alluvial deposits on the West Coast containing gpld and uranium. About 15 dredges were operating to-day, but many others, which had been delayed by the war making it difficult for the companies to obtain machinery, would be going into production before long. There was therefore good promise on the West Coast for the recovery of uranium ore, particularly near Harihari and Gillespie's Beach.

Instrument Aids Prospecting Research officers last year went as far as the sounds prospecting for uranium, and this year expeditions would probably go as far as Preservation Inlet in further searches. Mr O'Brien said prospecting had been aided toy a remarkable little instrument, which recorded on a dial about the size of a watchface its reactions to radio-active substances. The greater the deposit the stronger the reaction recorded on the dial. The instrument could even be Jowered down a bore hole, and would register as it went down if radio-active deposits were there. This remarkable mechanism had made prospecting much easier. Mr O'Brien said the Mines Department had full charge of the mining of uranium, and could direct any existing mining company regarding the recovery of uranium. The production of atomic energy would be the responsibility of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr O'Brien said. Last Saturday afternoon he visited a back street laboratory and watched four young scientists at work. They were so intent on their job that they seemed to have no idea that it was Saturday afternoon. Each was in charge of his own machine, and was intent on seeing what, he could do with it.

Mr O'Brien said he watched interesting experiments in separating the dry ores of uranium by magnetism. These same scientists had been associated during the war with the important enterprise of making- radar sets. The Minister said that from what he had seen of the enthusiasm of these men, and the readiness with which they shouldered their packs and went all over the country in the course of their searches for uranium. New Zealand could expect quite a lot from them, and could well be proud of them. Discussing the provision for rewarding discoverers of uranium, Mr O'Brien said it was almost impossible to say what the. extent of the reward would be, but he took it the Government would not be backward in rewarding the discoverer of any important.deposit. No discoveries of uranium had been reported in New Zealand before those made by Government officers in 1944. Consequently the bill provided that landowners would have no right to claim compensation for uranium discovered on their property. Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford) said the bill was a desirable one. If we had the source of this power in New Zealand it had to be properly controlled and developed. No Subject More Important The Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), said no subject in the world was more important to the life of human beings to-day than that of atomic energy. If atomic energy was misused it could virtually wipe human life off the planet. The greatest thinkers and scientists were concentrating on this subject, warning ds of its potential evil, and urging that it be applied to the advantage, not the destruction, of our race.

Mr Sullivan said that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research had advised him two to two and a half years ago that tactical use of atomic energy was likely to be attained, and that the use of atomic energy was not improbable before the end of the war with Japan In view of the knowledge that a great secret task was being worked on, the department made available some of its capable young scientists to assist in research work overseas.

Mr T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton) said a sufficient quantity of uranium had been discovered in New Zealand to make control of supplies necessary.

Mr Poison, during the third reading of the bill, raised the question of penalties which could be inflicted on a person convicted of offences against the provisions of the bill, and said in his opinion a fine of £IOOO or imprisonment for five years, or both was tremendously fierce and savage .The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. eraser) said there had been prospectors from other countries quietly wandering about the land and they had found quantities of uranium without notifying their discoveries. Luckily they had been traced by officers, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. There might be, said the Prime Minister, but he hoped there would not be. a race for atomic energy but everyone had to realise what a terrible responsibility it was to find this commodity. It was a very serious matter, and he did not think the penalties were excessive. The bill was passed.