ONEKAKA IRON

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16623, 16 April 1928, Page 6

ONEKAKA IRON

GREAT POSSIBILITIES "SHOULD BE GOLD MINE" (Per Press Association.) .NELSON, this; day. The Minister of Lands, the( Hotl. A. D. McLeod, made some important comments on the iron industry after a visit to Qnekaka iron and steel works. This, and the manufacture of cement at Tarakohe, made up the two most impOrtani industries of the Golden Bay district, lie said. When the country had the necessary material for the production of Iron eveiything possible should be done to establish the industry, and also the many industries depended on the supply of pig iron. It .was no use building up an industry that depended on the sup* ply of raw product if there was a possibility of the supply being cut off. A sure source of supply, of pig iron was necessary in this country. It was disappointing to find a number of industries that had had their requests for protection granted buying their iron outside' New Zealand. That was not playing the game. "I was very much impressed, with the Onekaka works,", said Minister. "There was an opening for the: spending of more capital in providing new machinery and improvements to the present plant. Many countries Would like to have adjacent deposits of lime and iron as was found at Onekaka,. The Onekaka deposits would be a gold jriirie if they occurred in Australia,- and the Minister could not think but that : they should be a gold mine in New Zealand. "I can safely say that at Onekaka," continued Mr. McLeod, "that little industry lias a great future, both for itself and for this district."