DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21148, 4 October 1930, Page 10

DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER.

VISIT TO THE DOMINION. COPPER MINING IN CHILE. I Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, October 3. Partly on business, but mainly on pleasure, Mr David Gilmour, a distinguished consulting engineer, arrived by the Rangitata to-day on a trip to New Zealand. Mrs Gilmour accompanied him. It is their first visit either to Australia or New Zealand.

Until his retirement a few years ago Mr Gilmour was president of the Standard Chemical Company, Montreal, and in the time which has elapsed since then he has been_ engaged in other parts of the world, including Spain, where he filled the position of general manager during the construction of a strategic railway 250 miles in length. Many years ago Mr Gilmour was stationed in South America, where he was one of the engineers appointed by the Guggenheim firm of New York, a name known wherever copper is known. The American firm was carrying out an enormous copper development in Chile, and Mr Gilmour was engaged on what is now probably the largest copper industry in the world. About 90 per cent, of Chilean copper is produced by two large American companies operating at three centres, of which the most extensive is at Chuquicamata. This is one of the large-scale mining operations of the. world, working a low 2 per cent, grade ore at an expense of seven or eight cents a lb. The copper reserve is the largest known, and is estimated conservatively at 134,000,000,0001 b. . Although Chile lost for a time its high position on the copper markets of the world, it holds third place now as a result of American developments.

When the war broke out Mr Gilmour returned to England arid joined the Ministry of Munitions, where his remarkable abilities as an engineer led to most responsible work. Mr Gilmour himself planned, organised, and directed the famous munition works at Gretna, which, with factories at Queensferry and elsewhere, were the largest established by the Ministry during the war. Ho received the C.B.E, in 1918.

In Canada, Mr Gilmour was associated with a large industrial concern carrying on wood distillation. This was the Standard Chemical Company of Montreal, of which Mr Gilmour was president until his retirement.