Nickel
p. 87 · Read in the full issue
World Demand For Nickel Soldiers Go To Mine In New Caledonia
From Our Own Correspondent
Noumea, Aug. 28.
JJOME little perturbation was 3 caused in New Caledonia when it was officially an lounced that the Army, under the jommand of Colonel Vanden iroucke, had been ordered to work he nickel mines at Thio.
The High Commissioner’s Chief if Cabinet, Mr. Gavarry, explained hat owing to increasing demands rom the US and France for more lickel, work had to be accelerated, le said that the soldiers would be jailed back to their barracks in Noumea as soon as a projected :arrier for the ore could operate.
Between 40 and 50 soldiers have leen sent to Thio.
The Nickel Company’s smelters in Noumea expect to produce more han 10,000 tons of nickel by the end if 1952. New equipment is being nstalled, principally in the smelt ng plants.
Large Sums Involved
3NE American, Mr. Patterson, who has important interests in the newly formed “Societe Cale onienne des Mataux” has opened lis offices in the new building of 4r. Pentecost, Rue de I’Alma, Noumea.
At the same time an official dis latch has announced ECA’s loan of ome 857,000 dollars to the “Societe laledonienne des Metaux,” to pro note the production of chrome in he Caledonian mines. The “Societe )aledonienne des Metaux” will also >e assisted in Metropolitan francs, md a sum of 146 millions has been >ut at its disposal. The company sail reimburse this by exporting hrome to the United States. It vlll pay 4 per cent, interest. The unds in dollars and francs are be ng made available through the nedium of the “Caisse Centrale de a France d’Outre-Mer” (Caifom).
Anxiety In Britain
USERS of materials containing nickel will be “hard hit” by the increasing scarcity of the netal as the result of a great ex >ansion of demand, said the man ner of a Birmingham company at he conclusion of a six-weeks’ visit o Australia.
He said that large quantities of lickel and nickel alloys were needed or defence, while at the same time -here was a growing demand for ommercial and domestic uses.