STEPS PROMPTLY TAKEN

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 81, 30 December 1940, Page 8

STEPS PROMPTLY TAKEN

Phosphate Situation N.Z. HAS WAR RESERVE STOCKS (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, December 29. "The damage to the plant .at Nauru Island is a grievous loss, but 1 can say that we have already begun to take steps to deal tvith the situation,” said Sir Albert Ellis, New Zealand member of the British Phosphate Commission, in an interview.

“At. present, of course, it is possible b> speak only in general terms, but I rim in close touch with the central oilice of the commission in Melbourne, ami I hope to make more specific information available before long. In anticipation of war risks, Sir Albert continued, additional stocks of reck phosphate bad been built up in Xew Zealand since about the beginning of the present year. Material had been .stored in varying quantities in the open j at various fertilizer works, and bad been drawn upon simultaneously with indoor stocks. The use to be made of these extra stocks in the present emergency was naturally bound up with what tiie commission would do to make up for the reduction in output from Nauru. •j "There is no need for farmers to •get the wind up,’ ” lie added. • “This ’is just a difficulty to be overcome, and we are going to use every available means to overcome it. We are already in touch with other sources of supply.” Sir Albert went on to say that at the time of the raider's attack there was a stock of about 60,000 tons of crushed ami dried rock phosphate on Nauru. While it was impossible to be definite at this stage, lie felt certain that means of shipping it would be found, though the process would necessarily be slow in comparison with the loading from the cantilever. He recalled that some years ago, when all demands could not be met from Nauru and Ocean Islands, the commission bad purchased supplies from Makatea ami Christmas Island in the Facitic. and from Florida and Morocco.

So far as repairs to the Nauru plant were concerned, Sir Albert said the magnitude of the task had yet to be assessed. However, the commission had on its staff men with a wealth of special experience that would be of the highest value. They had been tackling the greatest possible difficulties, including those for pioneering, for many years past, and he was sure they would rise to this occasion.