Phosphate Industry And

War

fTVHE high and increasing price of JL superphosphate is causing much dis content among Australian farmers, Contributory factors are the destruction of the Nauru phosphate rock loading equipment by a German raider last December, and the high costs of marine freights and insurance.

The Australian Government is deeply concerned, because “super” is vital to agriculture (West Australia, alone, uses 500,000 tons per annum), but there is nothing that can be done about it. Nauru, Ocean Is., Makatea, etc., are all busily producing rock; the troublesome “bottle neck” is the ships needed to carry phos phate rock and sulphur to the works in Australia and NZ.