PREMIER AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1037, 28 January 1911, Page 5

PREMIER AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

; / THE, IRON INDUSTRY. ( <Sy Telegraph-Press Association.) ■•■,: New Plymouth, January 27. , j'The. Prime Minister; arrived at New .; ;this afternoon- from Stratford, Kapongaj and Inglewbod,- and immediatelyon arrival proceeded to Motu- . roa,to inspect, the Tarahaki Petroleum Company.'s oil works.!. To-night, speaking, at the Theatre Royal to a crowded audience, he- traversed the same ground , as at Stratford last 1 night, devoting much time to.a.defence of, tho Government) in the matter" of ..tjhe" recent five .million -loan, his remarks;being as already reported. Touching on his visit to.the petroleum field in the afternoon, ie referred to the - immense-.possibili-■ties of the petroleum, industry. 'It jwoiild do an enormous amount, of good, only'in these :parts, .but..to ~ the ..whole; of the Dominion, and he could , '•only.fixpresß. his, fery.ent.hopo :;effortsofathe enterprising!-nien who had ; itakeriithe.mattcr'in hand would-meet . ,tb.e -fullest possible success..'. The Prime (Minister mdded that he had been impressed by, the great development of tho xlistrict,:.and'.;the. progress r at -the- port |cf New Plymouth, where the depth of . (.water::provide"d;.was:' 33.feet'-; at low mater, and' 45 feet"'at high- water. -' He ; strpYigly: urged .the.-Harbour Board to fflefc into touch with concerns contrqlling / . oversea! shipping, ior,:in -his opinion, ~ pt. was justified .in : askfng fpr . direct {steam trade. He pointed out that the dairy produce export value had increasjed by about £275,000 in-thepast five (jearsia'nd there had also been a grati- , [tying increase in Taranaki's population.- , iHe announced '-cheers' that he[had just rocei.ved.;news:that.an iron:inidustry would-,be established in tho.Do- "• .within the year,, which..would - 'WJi'mAm-Jor New Zealand,, and ■ particularly for this, district, owing to- . (extensive deposits',of iron-sand.. -In ". *t s -!L Dg ' he ' : a ? ds . -feeling reference, ..which was greeted with a tmnplt of ap-- '■' '■ energy and enthusiasm of' ~; •ihe,.late..Mr. E.. 3\LSmith,M.P., who •; • had done so. much in: the - interests' of ' " ™e won. sand industry during, the whole of his, lifetime, and,-who had kept it .' ■•: promrnently in- the-foreground both in Hew Zealand and out of it. Ho 'reeret- /! *«d that. ;.'little E.M." .was . not • alive, to see_the fruits, of. his endeav-