RECORD OUTPUT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23220, 18 June 1937, Page 8

RECORD OUTPUT

WORK OF PHOSPHATE COMMISSION NAURU AND OCEAN ISLANDS (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 17. The operations of the British Phosphate Commission on Nauru and Ocean Islands have resulted in a record output of more than 1,000,000 tons of phosphate in the year ending June 30, according to Mr A. F. Ellis, the New Zealand representative on the Board of Commissiorers. who returned to Auckland from the islands by the steamer Myrtlebank. The peak figure of 1.000,000 tons reached during the current year easily exceeds the record of 860,000 tons established last year. The commissioners and principal officers, including Mr Clive M'Pherson, the Australian commissioner, were present at Nauru and Ocean Islands during Mr Ellis's seven weeks' visit. The equipment on both islands was inspected, and several conferences held. " opportunity for the development of the immense fertiliser industry on the two small Pacific islands." Mr Ellis said, "is being taken by the commission, and the recent installation of a 'cantilever to load ships at Nauru has greatly increased the output. Evidence of this was given oil Monday of last week, when the Myrtlebank arrived from Wanganui and loaded 8450 tons of phosphate in one day. "Although some phosphate is sent to Europe and Japan, the great bulk of the output from the islands goes to Australia and New Zealand," Mr Ellis stated. "The demand in the two dominions has increased very greatly, and there is every evidence of a further increase in the coming year." The record established this year was attributed by the commissioner to the improved prices for primary products and to the realisation by farmers of the imperative need for the use of fertilisers.