SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

Southland Times, Issue 20395, 26 January 1928, Page 4

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES

VALUE OF IRONWORKS. It is a singular thing that although there are many deposits of iron ore in New Zealand no big industry has yet been developed (says the Auckland Star). The rapid growth of ferro-concrete building necessarily means a big import of iron beams and rods. The cement can be manufactured in New Zealand, and the sand and shingle are plentiful, while the lava flows in the Auckland district afford plenty of metal, but still the requisite iron has to be imported. If only a big iron industry was developed in New Zealand it would mean that practically all the material for the big modern buildings could be produced in the Dominion. Many years ago money was lavished freely to try and establish a payable industry with iron sand, and at one time there was a works at Onehunga, but this did not prove remunerative. It is possible that the money would have been better spent in developing some of the deposits of iron ore. What the successful establishment of iron works means to a country may be judged from the operations of the Newcastle Steel Works in New South Wales. The first blast furnace was “blown in” on March 8, 1915. The furnaces are equal to producing 9000 tons of steel per week. There are also elaborate extensive shops in connection with the works, and it may interest share-

holders in coal companies to learn that the amount of coal used each year is 900,000 tons. In addition allied industries have been established in Newcastle and Sydney for the conversion of steel works products into galvanised iron, wire netting, wire ropes, fencing and other wire, also for the production of railway tyres, axles, and steel castings. Since November, 1926, the material produced was as follows:—Pig iron, 2,322,107 tons; steel ingots, 2,276,464 tons; foundry ingots, 38,666 tons; blooms and billets, 801,602 tons; rails (all sizes), 721,955 tons; structural steel, 181,611 tons; steel plates, 13,700 tons; fishplates, 42,180 tons; guard plates, 6430 tons; munition steel, 17,900 tons; merchant bar, 403,870 tons; steel sleepers, 5205 tons; wire rod, 359,615 tons; sulphate of ammonia, 32,631 tons; tar, 23,912,965 gallons; and benzol, 3,710,659 gallons.