Improved Facilities for Loading

Phosphates at Makatea Is.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, July 15.

IMPORTANT improvement, consisting of a new loading pier and a new mooring buoy, nave been recently completed at Makatea, the phosphate island situated about 120 miles north east of Tahiti.

The phosphate rock deposits, which run over 80 per cent, of tricaicic phos phate of lime and are, therefore, ex ceedingly rich, are owned and operated by the Compagnie Francaise des Phos phates de l’Oceanie, of which the share holders are both French and British.

This company has been a successful one from its inception, and its works at Makatea have now, under the very able management of M. Gagneaux, reached a highly-efflcient stage of de velopment and economical organisation.

Enormous quantities of phosphate have been exported from the island, but, in 1931, the quantity shipped fell to about 200,000 tons in consequence of the gen eral business depression all over the world, more particularly in Germany, which country was a big customer in the past. It is stated that the output for 1932 will show a still further decline.

In consequence of this reduced business the workers on Makatea now number only about 500 instead of over 1,000.

The new loading pier is a steel struc ture embodying the cantilever prin ciple, used with success on Ocean and Nauru Islands. Its seaward end extends just beyond the breakers, so that a ves sel can be now loaded in anything ex cept very bad weather. From the end of the pier, the phosphate can be dumped into lighters at the rate of 2,000 tons per day when necessary, thus ensuring quick despatch for vessels while the weather is good.

The latest mooring for steamers, which is said to be one of the deepest in the world, was placed in position under the supervision of Captain Suf feran, who is an expert in this line, having done similar jobs in the Western Pacific. The Captain is now a perman ent member of the Company’s staff on Makatea. The British tramp steamer “Mineric” transported the heavy chain for the mooring from Papeete to Maka tea, and it was from her decks that all operations were conducted; a risky business, but one that was carried through to a successful conclusion.

The Phosphate Company maintains a small steamer, the “Ville de Papeete,” for the transportation of goods, pas sengers, and mail between Makatea and Tahiti, and also does a consider

able business in Australian coal with passing- vessels. The labourers on Makatea, who are exceptionally well taken care of, consist of Japanese, Chi nese, and local natives, while the man agement and technical staff is French.