A Peculiar Story

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 5965, 31 July 1912, Page 1

A Peculiar Story

The London correspondent of the -Lytieiton Times has been inter view-in..- " ilr T. Donne, of 3U, Uolborn Viaduct, a " man oi very considerable wealth, who is prepared to expend a very great proportion oi ins' capital in Aow Zealand—in iVunaki and iu iaranaki'n-ousand." Mr Donne stated that in liius he cn.;a U ed a consulting engineer to make a report as to the possibility of utilising the irousand. Ihe engineer reported that ait attempts to produce iron from, the sand at a profit had faded, but added I that hB believed the problem was within tho bounds 0 f practical metal- ( lurgy. Mi- Donne then authorised the , engineer to get into touch with the i\ew Zealand Government and secure I information as to leases. Un March I 10, 1909, the Minister of Lands was written to, and from another source I a shipment of twenty tons of ironsand was ordered. The letter, for some reason or the other, never reached the Minister. The sand, though it was bagged and shipped from Taranaka, nßver reached Mr Donne. Anotlnr order was sent, a nd a shipment | of twenty tons was at last secured. I experiments were conducted with coni sideraJble perseverenee and skill, and , in. June, 1909, th e problem of treating the sand profitably was solved, in November, 1908, no rep l y having been received from the Minister of Lands, tho Chairman of the New il'kmouth flaifcour Board was. written to, and asked to state terms for a short-term option on a lease of the same area. The latter was not acknowledged till March, 1910, but in the meantime two gentlemen left New Zealand and travelled through America and England, seeking i n ever v possible way to induce capitalists to put up money for experimental works at Taranaki. They failed, and after hnwkiaa the proposition ajbbut in

every conoeivaible direotim lh.a|iproaehed Mr Donne's engineer with a view of securing his knowledge. This ulso failed, and they returned to M..\v Zealand. Mr Donne had a lengthy correspondence with the New Plymouth Harbour Board, but could get no satisfaction. An offer was made to lease to Mr Donne small portions of the sand-'bearing lands, but. this oilier was refused, a s it was regarded as an attempt to discover the method of treatment of the sand. Mr Donne's estimates are to Ac effect that thirty million tons of iron can be taken from .the sand in sight which at #7 per ton would mean" he creation of value to the extent of £210,000,000.