NAURU ISLAND MANDATE,

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14986, 13 August 1919, Page 7

NAURU ISLAND MANDATE,

o, ; PREMIER'S HIGH OPINION OF THE PROPOSITION. SUPPLY OF PHOSPHATES. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. * Speaking of the Nauru proposition, Mr: Massey said: "I think it will quite possibly export half a million tons of phos-i pha-tes from Nauru when the enterprise j is fully developed. This may not be J for a few years, but when the initial :j difficulties arc overcome I am sure New j Zealand will be very glad to have these J phosphates from Nauru, first because the! j sea carriage should not be expensive over J such a i datively short distance, and sec- j ondly because the phosphates are of highi! quality. Of the total output, which Ij have suggested will be 50,000 tons a year. New Zealand will probably require 10,000, and Australia will need ;:t least double this quantity, for I understand they are using phosphatic manures to treat ground being prepared . for wheat crops." Mr. Massey thought that probably payment would be made, by debentures bearing interest, "and the Governments j would have to establish sinking funds at such a rate as to make possible the re-j demption of debentures m 25 or 30 ' years.