Daily Circulation, 1500. The Oamaru Mail WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1889.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 4542, 4 December 1889, Page 2

Daily Circulation, 1500. The Oamaru Mail WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1889.

The cablegraphic statement that Mr Fdiaon has discovered a method by which the iron sand that abound? on our coasts may be utilise 1 is one of ths bast bits of news that the Aetociatlcn his supplied for many a day. It has been a m»tter of ocntinual ragTet that snch an unlimited su; ply of the raw material was not capable <f being transformed into wealth by some easy and inexpensive process. For many years attempts have been made to to'.ve the difficulty, but, though the production of iron and steel ot a very superior quality was the result, the proluction of thosa commodities at prises that would render them marketable Beemed as far eff as ever. Several attempts have been made at Taranakl and at tha Manukau to overcome the which barred the way to the success of the industry, and a large amount of ciplt&l was sunk lu these endeavors, the most Interesting and va'uable cutcome of which were tha specimens brought to Oamara some time ago by Mr Macandrew, of the Manakau ironsand smelting works. These specimens were remarkable for their st' eng'h, and one ooald not look at them wi'hout feeling that Mew Zealand would be materially assisted on the road to national importance and wealth if the profitable utilisation of the sand were to become an accomplished faot. Since then the people of Taranaki have made another effort to work the oracle, and scored another failnre, which ended in the demolition of the f irnacea. Tha proximity of coal to the ironsand is an advantage thit cannot be too h : gh'y appreciated, provided that Mr Edison's discovery proves to be a oompleta solution of the difficulty, and that there is no truth in the prediction of some scientists that the iron age is to ba brought to a speedy conclusion by the advent of aluminium.