MINERAL WEALTH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 May 1925, Page 11

MINERAL WEALTH.

NEAY ZEALAND DEPOSITS./ C FULL EXTENT UNKNOWN. £. • An English visitor who wishes to know more about New Zealand’smineral wealth is Sir John Davies, managing director of Baldwins, Ltd., ,a large metal working company founded by the father of the' British Prime. Minister. Sir John Davies is a leading figure in the AVelsh steel trade, and was made a baronet largely for his services in organising shell production during the war. • “I have been trying to find out something about your mineral deposits,” Sir John Davies said in fin interview. “You seem to liave• nearly every mineral there is, but- whether they are in workable quantities isa'iiother matter, i ain sorry i have only i a fortnight to spend in New 'Zealand, because when I was in AYellingto'n the Y Minister of Alines and the Director of Pis Department (Air. Morgan) were both away, and I could not get all the information I wanted. I gather that your geological survey is not complete, and i question very much wliethe r yoti know exactly what you have got in the way -of minerals.” - (i, . Sir John Davies was asked if he hail; been told about the Parapara iron deposits in the Nelson district, but ap T - parently he had not. Respecting iron and steel production, he said that New Zealand could not very well expectj 1 more thaii a domestic market.

“You mean,” said the reporter, “tlia’t we should Tiave to meet the com- - petitioiL of the Australian steel indus-

try?” Sir John Davies shrugged his shoulders. "Australian working costs are very high,'” lie said. “Aly company is much interested in corrugated iron. 1 find that the Australian makers are-: getting a 'bounty of £5 a ton besides tariff protection. They can supply only 25 per cent, of the demand, 'lo tax; the consumers of the other 75 per centv.like that seems to be going altogether .too far. A country like this needs to keep a proper balance. If you. try . to foster manufacturing industry too much, you are simply putting a burden; on the primary- producer.’-’ So far as trade with Great Britain was concerned, Sir John Davies said lie felt that the .Home Country v as; getting her share of the metal‘goods' trade at any rate, except possibly in motor-cars. He said that in machinery, and heavy iron and steel goods Britain • did not fear American competition. Here the exchange rates gave Continental manufacturers an undue advantage, but they did not'seem to have obtained a hold, in this country. Tiiafc was satisfactory to English manufacturers, who were having a very Lard’, time at present. The dairy industry seemed to iia\e' attracted Sir John’s notice. He said that it seemed a pity that Denmark was still supplying a large part of Great-Britain’s butter and cheese, and was getting higher prices . than New Zealand. It. has essential-that thd cost of production' ’ and distribution’ should be kept- down, and it seemed tpV him that much dairying . land i rl the - Dominion , was priced too high’, . He i doubted whether the Government coii- ; trol of ex ports-vv oil ki be "a "good thing; it certainly could not control distribu- ■ tion in Great Britain.”