TARANAKI IRONSAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18173, 19 August 1922, Page 10

TARANAKI IRONSAND.

PLEA FOR DEVELOPMENT, .SUPPLY ■' "OF ELECTRICITY. ARAPUNI.AS A'SOURCE. [BX TEUBORAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Friday. When a report on the experiments in tho smelting of Tarauaki ironsand was placed before the House of Representatives this week, Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) urged the Government to give attention to the subject. It had been proved, he said, that the ironsand deposits were of enormous potential value. The failures of earlier attempts to develop the deposits had been due entirely to lack of capital. Experiments had shown that pig-iron of very high quality could be produced. Somo recent experiments in Sydney had shown that, gold and platinum could also bo recovered from tho sands, which ivere stated to contain enough wealth to pay off the national debt. Sir John Luke (Wellington North) said that iron recently produced at Parapara had been of a quality that could not bo surpassed in any part of the world. Ho did not think there was any need for tho Government to engage in iron-smelting at Onakaka, as ho understood the company operating there had capital enough. Mr. It. Masters (Stratford) said that at Onakaka it had been proved that New Zealand could produce a first ; grade pigiron. The stage had been reached, however, when the company needed more capital for further development work. He suggested that the State should assist companies which were endeavouring to build up an iron-smelting industry. Ho did not propose any gift, but a loan. The Minister for Public Works, the Horn J. G. Coates, said that urmie time ago a scheme had been mooted under which a company would endeavour to smelt Taranaki ironsands by electricity generated with coal from the Mokau field. He wished to state that the Government scheme of developing electricity at Arapuni was to be carried out. The Government was prepared now to consider any large order for power " in bulk" in Auckland or Taranaki. The power would not be readv next day, but when supplied it would be at a price with which he did not think power from other sources could compete. . , ... . . Mr. Smith asked whether th® Minister could promise that the power would be available within five years. Mr. Coates: I would not like to sav within five years, but it will not be much over five years. It all depends on the 1 amount of power that is required. The Prime Minister agreed with those who believed that the country had a very valuable asset in the ironsajnk of Parapara and Taranaki- He was confident that the smelting industry would eventuallv crow up.. He had seen New Zealand ronslnd smelted by electricity. Experts had informed him that attempts to smelt such sand in an ordinary blast furnace had not succeeded anywhere. He would rather see private enterprise developing the iron industry than see the State attempt it. Private enterprise was: tne S likely to succeed He did not think fo possible for the Government to find mon P ey at such a time for the of companies endeavouring to build up the nTHrdustry, but tho bonus on iron production was still and it was fairlv substantial. He hoped that ironsmelting in New Zealand would be a success. , : .., v MOTHERHOOD ENDOWMENT LABOUR MEMBER'S BILL. \ [bv teleobaph.—jpbess association.] WELLINGTON, Friday. The debate on the motion to intro. duce the Motherhood Endowment Bill (Mr M J. Savage) was resumed in the House to-day by Mr. F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn), who quoted figures showing the mortality among mothers and children. During ten years, he said, 22.229 lives wero lost, and this was due to bad environment, which in turn was the result of State neglect. He supported the Bill, but considered it did not go far enough to get a real solution of the problem. The equality of woman with man in the economic field must be recognised. The only equitable method of providing money for the purposes of the Bill was to take it from the Consolidated Fund. ,v_ . Mr. R. McCaUum (Wairau) supported the Bill. The Hon. W. Nosworthy said some members were prepared to support anything, no matter what financial burden it would impose. The Government was not unmindful of the needs of the poor, but it had to be guided by financial conditions. The Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill) considered the Bill should not bo allowed to go into oblivion. The Bill was eventually introduced and read a first time.