MORE PROSPEROUS NOW

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16622, 14 April 1928, Page 15

MORE PROSPEROUS NOW

CHILE UNDER DICTATOR ' "Chile has a constitutional Government, and a sort of dictator, President Ibancz, who has a tight hold on the reins and is straightening the country out," said Mr. N. R. Down, nn engineer interested in copper mining, on his arrival at Auckland on the lonic. Mr. Down,, who joined the vessel at Cristobal, is travelling with his wife and son to Melbourne. Later in the year he. will return to Santiago, his headquarters. After passing through a period of depression, Chile had recovered its balance, and was rapidly returning to prosperity, said Mr. Down. Exports were increasing, especially minerals. There was still a big demand for copper, and the Chilean mines were capable of being operated for at least another hundred years. Quantities of the minerals were crude, but if handled on a big scale profitable returns could be expected. The central zones in Chile was rich agricultural land, making successful farming possible, and in the north there. Avere vast fields of nitrates and borax, giving rich yields. In that quarter the country did not have rain from one year's end to another. This condition contrasted with the southern territory, which was thickly -wooded and experienced a heavy rainfall.