THE IRONSAND INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1916, Page 4

THE IRONSAND INDUSTRY.

It will be seen from the report of tke interview given by ilr. .1. B. haurenson, of Cliristchureh, to a Daily News representative yesterday, tlut' there is at last a prospect af the Taranaki ironsand industry being placed on a satisfactory basis. Although the negotiations are not yet complete, there is every reason to expect that within a few months the establishment of smelting works for converting the ironsand into pig iron will be an accomplished fact, a company having been formed to' carry 011 the business. What may be called the pioneering or experimental stage of the industry has been safely passed, and there only remains the practical stage to bs entered upon. So satisfactory have been the tests, they have established the fact that the industry is capable of becoming one of the most important and successful of any in the Dominion. The mere fulfilling the country's requirements in pig iron is only the basis of operations which should embrace the manufacture of all classes of iron goods. There is certainly much force in Mr. Laurenson'a contention that if the iron industry had been established in Taranaki a few years ago the province might now have been manufacturing iron standards and other similar goods and supplying them at half their present co3t. The industry will have more than a Dominion importance, for it will be an Imperial asset. We hope shortly to be able to announce ti'at all the negotiations have been arranged n; d that besides the. Taranaki ironsand there will be utilised the vast stores of ore at Parapara. Present prospects are decidedly promising.