Untitled

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 23, 26 January 1918, Page 6

In the course of his paper on "The Possibilities of the Local Manufacturer,", it the meeting of the Canterbury Industrial Association on Monday, Mr. A. F. Drayton spoke in interesting terms of the possibilities of the salt industry in New Zealand. "Salt," he said, "is.a most important product, which we could produce to advantage by the aid of our magnificent electric power system. Imports of common salt for the past five years have averaged 24,000 tons per year, worth about £72,000. That it is possible to produce salt by the evaporation of sea water is demonstrated by the success of the venture at Geelong, Victoria, where 20 to 30 thousand tons per year have been produced for some years past, at a very low cost. The sea water in Cook Strait contained 3.33 per cent, of sodium chloride, that, is 40 tons per acre foot. It would thus require the evaporating of only 600 aero feet per year to supply the. whole of the Dominion's requirements, and in this hydro-electric power will play a paying part. But in addition to 24,000 tons of common salt, we import over 5000 tons per annum of several salts of sodium, worth before the war £100,----000. Tho development of the salt and caustic soda, industry is the first step in. the production of the whole of these more valuable sodium salts. When you think of the large amounts of agricultural salts we are importing, think of the unnecessary occupation of tonnage when the space could be otherwise utilised. A scheme to establish salt works has, I believe, been propounded, and I only hope that it may not' suffer the fate of many other equally deserving objects, as this establishment would undoubtedly tend to place agricultural salt at the disposal of the farmer at considerably less than present prices."

Tho Rev. S. J. Hoban, superintendent of the Sydney Central Mission, is visiting". Wellington, and will preach at both services next Sunday in Wesley Church', Taranaki-stroet. On Monday evening, .in. Wesley Church, at 7.45, Mr. Hoban will deliver his popular lecture, "The Romance of a, Great City Mission."

' 'In her 102 nd year, Mrs. Maria Sawkius, ,an Irishwoman, who was buried at Deal last November, cut two new teeth. She smoked a pipe, and for tho past two years used over 2oz of tobacco every week. The old lady would have been 102 in January.