BASIC SLAG

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 108, 3 November 1926, Page 15

BASIC SLAG

INCREASE IN FREIGHT.

(rrtw oar Own Csns»s**4snty

LONDON, 21st Septc -iber. T

Basic slag has come into prominence dor* ing the past few weeks. In the first pUw_, the conference of New Zealand shipping companies has raised the freight Ton thia cargo to the Dominion from 25» per ton'to 30», per ton. Secondly, there have bean complaints in New Zealand concerning tb* low phosphoric acid content of some of the slag sent out. Some 40,000 tons 'of basic slag are shipped from thia country ,to New Zealand each year. It is heat* and compact and serves as excellent ballast for those vessels which are not carry* ing a heavy outward cargo. The shipping companies state that they are compelled to make this increase in freight charges to counterbalance to some extent the high pnees they are paying at present for thSr coal owing to the strike. There is said to be an increase of 100 per cent, in the prita of British coal. -'' Complaints regarding the quality of U»a slag have'led the New Zealand Government to request the High Commissioner to make arrangements for analysis of the material before it is shipped. It is quite evident that varying qualities of steel or varying processes of making that steel w«t nroduco varying qualities of basic sitg. Hitherto the cargo has gone out without any certificate of contents, and the same, price and the same freight has been paid by the buyers for high grade or low trade :'~ slag. It is now suggested that an analysk of the material should be made br'ire it h placed in the hold and that reports should be forwarded to the Dominion to enshle the buyers to bring claims against the #hij>pcis for deficiency in the phosphoric ,a<jd content. The High Commissioner's Dfpartment is in touch with the Government; Chemist and the Imperial Institute wftK'»', view to carrying out the suggestion of IMS) : New Zealand Government. ---■•:"