NEW ZEALAND IRON AND STEEL CO., LIMITED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7645, 24 May 1886, Page 3 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND IRON AND STEEL CO., LIMITED.

The following circular has boon issued to the proprietors of the above company :— Queen-street, Auckland, April 7, 18S6. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Iron and Steel Company (Limited), it was stated that a meeting of the shareholders would be called early in the year, ai it was expected that some trials that were then being carried out would bo finished by that time. These trials occupied more time than was expected, and the meeting was deferred from time to time to enables tho directors to satisfy themselves that they could with confidence recommend the shareholders to expend more money in completing and carrying on tho works. A statement showing the position of the company has been prepared, and also a programme for tho carrying on of the works; but your directors have decided to defer it until the question of the steel melting pots has been decided satisfactorily, and they can confidently recommend tho courso of action which has been preparod. The trials that were first made by the present manager were to prove the manufacture of bar iron from the s*n<i, and were successful. The manufacture of crucible steel was next tried, as this branch offers a wider field, and has the great sdvaLtage of requiring less skilled labour than the iron. This has been most successfully carried out, ingots of the very finest cast steel being made direct from the ironsand, the quality of which has been proved to be equal, if not superior, to anything imported. In this department we have met with delay, caused through our first lot of melting pots or crucibles not standing the required heat. We had no trouble with the importod crucibles; but, until we can make our own pots, we cannot claim a success. Analysis of these pots Las proved the presence of alkaline salts to the extent of 1*25 ».er cent. Where this has come from is so far a mystery, as no clay has shown any such result. 1 rush pots are now being made, both plumbago and clay, and as the difficulty has been solely with the pots, and not in the manufacture of the steel, we have no reason to doubt but that this trouble will be overcome. Imported plumbago pots stood the heat.

and, to save time and to make sure, some English flro-clay and pots and plumbago pots hava beoD sent for. Samples of both iron and steel bare bean sent to the Colonial Exhibition, and exhaustive tests will bo made with the same. The iron has also been sent to try the Knglish market as to its value as compared with the nest brands of Sweedish iron for steelmaking. The plant now at Onehunga will answer for steel as well as iron, and will entail no extra cost. Dr. Hector has analysed both iron and steel, and pronounces them of a very Inch class. The Public Works Department has also tried it, and it has proved that the steal is of tho very highest cUss, turnin? and planing machine tools having been made from the steel ingots. These tools wore tested by a week's work each, and stood tho tests so well that the workmen declared them to be the best quality, and equal to any steel they had ever used. The directors do not nee their way to make any definite proposals until the question of the steel melting pots is decided. That being settled, tha shareholders will be called together at once.— Chambcrs, managing director, jsew Zealand Iron and Steel Company (Limited).