COBDEN LIME WORKS

Grey River Argus, 17 March 1945, Page 3

COBDEN LIME WORKS

PROPOSAL TO BE INVESTIGATED Arrangements are being made by the Member for Westland (Hon. J. O’Brien) to have the proposal to establish a lime works at Cobden investigated by representatives of the Department of Scientific, and Industrial Research and the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with Mr C. McLeod, principal of the..company concerned. A statement to this effect was made by Hon. C. F. Skinner, Minister of Lands, when a deputation representing farming interests waited on him at Flokitika .last evening. The deputation comprised Messrs D. B. Jellie, President of the West Coast Council of Primary Production, J. Mulcare, secretary of the Council, and H. G. Carter and W. A. Jamieson. Mr Jellie said that the co-opera-tive works were supplying the whole needs of the Coast and if they could get the others would produce much more lime. They had given very satisfactory service to farmers in the past. The use of burnt lime was essential if production was to be maintained. The railage of lime f r °h) the proposed works to Westport wou-d keep fifty trucks in use at a time when there was a shortage. Mr Mulcare described how. the Ross lime Works had been built up, after being in a very bad position about 15 years ago, till it was supplying the cheapest burnt lime in New Zealand outside the Kokatahi-Koite-rangi district. He considered there was only room here for the present companies. The present price of carbonate of lime ex-works was. 14s 6d a ton compared with 14s which the new company proposed to charge, and it had been cheaper a few years ago. The production was getting up to more than 4000 tons a year, and could be increased sixfold by new plant on hand. New works at Cobden would put the company out of operation. The Minister of Mines had suggested State capital for limb works with farmers managing and supplying the labour. This was preferable to private enterprise. The Ross company was prepftrsd to make a donation of 50 tons of lime to Mr McLeod to see what he could do for 12 months. All that was asked for was a thorough enquiry and they would abide by the result. Mr W. A. Jamieson sa : d that the Koiterangi works, of which, he was chairman, produced burnt lime at’ £l. a ton, and they were working on a new carbonate plant, which should be in operation in a -few months, which could turn out three and a-half tons. an hour. They felt they were capable of meeting the demand for several years to come. Mr H. G. Carter, for the Farmers’ Union, referred to the cost which must be borne of railing lime from, Cobden to Westport. He asked for an enquiry by an independent body, of experts. MINISTER’S REPLY Mr Skinner repeated the assurance he had given in Greymouth that his interest was in the development of pakihi. He -was not concerned with the production of lime.. If the present works could supply the lime needed for that it would not be necessary to establish another. He thought the co-operative works had little to fear from the new concern, as the members would surely stand by their own works, and if the product of the proposed works was inferior they would not buy it. Again, if the demand was for burnt lime, crushed lime would not find favour. The railway wagon problem, he considered would be serious, as many wagons went to Westport empty. Extensive experiments had been carried out on pakihi, but because they had failed he would not say that no one else could solve the problem. Fie did not know of any other district apart from Westland that could meet the demand for lime —elsewhere assistance was being asked for lo establish works. He had discussed the Cobden proposal with Mr O’Brien and others ■ and Mr O’Brien had m haiici at present consideration of the matter by representatives of th? Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Department of Ag/eulture. Mr MeLood and all otm-rs interested. The Hon. C. F. Skinner, Minister of Rehabilitation arrived in Hokitika yesterday afternoon, and was met by' the Mayor (Mr. A R Elcock) and other representatives of the local bodies, and welcomed to the the town. The Minister at 5.30 received a deputation from the Home Servicemen’s Association, and at 7.30 he met the members of the local Rehabilitation Committee. At 8 p.m., representatives of the Local Bodies and the Farmers’ Union waited on the Minister, with whom representatives of the Returned Servicemen’s Association also held a conference. The Minister will proceed to South Westland and will have an opportunity of inspecting various, areas of land ’which may be found suitable for closer settlement