SULPHUR AND GUANO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19094, 12 August 1925, Page 17

SULPHUR AND GUANO.

WHITE ISLAND DEPOSITS. DEVELOPMENT BY COMPANY. ) READY FOR OPERATIONS. JBV TELEGRAPH- —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 3 OPOTIKI. Tuesday. The White Island Chemical Company has torapleted eighteen months' initial prospecting, testing and survey work on White island. Excellent accommodation has been built for the staff, a loading platform lias been erected and tracks to the various deposits have been cut. The company is ready to commence active operations. Mesrs. Mercer and Miles, directors, accompanied by Mr. Firth, R.Sc., of Messrs. Wilton and Co., Auckland, i;nd Mr. H. Price, Dunedin, and many others returned from a two days' trip to tho island last evening. They express themselves as very woll satisfied, and having gone to tho island prepared to be confronted with many difficulties were pleasantly surprised to find that no difficulties exist that cannot bo overcome either as to shipping or loading-

The material of the old crater has been \ridoly tested ns a fertiliser and is said to bo of unique quality. A careful estimate gives tho quantity availablo for shipment from the nearer beaches as two million tons. Tho deposits of guano, most of which are of high quality, offer no difficulty in tho matter of shipping and although only •t present tested to the comparatively »halio\v depth ot 6ft. or 7ft., in many places show faces of 20ft. to 22ft.

Freo sulphur is to bo found everywhere in the crater bed, which covers an area of over 70 acres. Much of this is pure and available for immediate shipment.

A gang of men, under Mr. A. Mathias, will commenco work this month preparing slipways, clearing track landings, cutting tramway levels, etc. Messrs. Mercer and Milos will be making Opotiki their headquarters and offices will bo opened for the company in Auckland. Mr. li. B. Weir, a well-known Canadian agriculturist, and a shareholder in tho company, accompanied the party and expresses himself confident of a.fino future for tho island.

Tno available sulphur supply of the world has recently been very much curtailed by tho closing of the Louisiana Sulphur Company, U.S.A. The consumption of sulphur and sulphur base fertilisers is enormously on the increase and this, together with the very interesting Wembley exhibition last year, which showed White Island as the only potential sulphur supply of the Empire, has brought the island very much beforo the notice of tho public in England and the United States. Questioned as to the possibility of any accident occurring similar to tho fatal one of 1914, Messrs Mercer and Miles state that they do not think there is any chance of anything of the sort. The spot where the new camp has been built is on the other side ol the island. There is a big belt of pohutukawas between tho camp nnd the bluff and no boulders are lying about, which proves that there have been no slips in that direction for possibly 50 yoars. Aftor the accident in 1914 a new blowhole was formed, round which there is no overhanging rock, this- minimising tho charices of' anything untoward occurring.

Interesting trials have been made in British Columbia with the guano. The Government there has had trial shipments, which have given wonderful results and the company holds splendid testimonials in regard to them and also from well-known farmers in New Zealand.

The greatest care is to be taken to provide for the welfara and comfort of the men working on tho Island. The question of a wireless installation has been given serious consideration. Messrs. Mercer and Miles leave on Wednesday for Auckland and Wellington and expect to return to Opotiki in about ten days, when a definite start will be made.