PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 63 



establish a local industry. The majority of our marble 

 quarries are worked spasmodically, and in most cases the 

 method of working is of a primitive and wasteful character. 

 A step, however, has been made in the right direction. 

 A recently opened quarry at Ponsonby, near Bathurst, 

 has installed modern machinery, wire-saws, channelling 

 machines, air-drills, etc., and probably others will soon 

 follow. 



It is gratifying to see that local marbles are now being 

 extensively used for the decoration of buildings, and as 

 they become better known the demand for them is sure to 

 increase. 



A detailed report on these industries is now in course of 

 preparation by the Department of Mines. 



Had time permitted I would have liked to refer more 

 fully to the great advances made in the many industries 

 using machinery. The textile trade twenty-five years 

 ago hardly existed, whereas there are now a number of 

 works fitted with up-to-date machinery; the benefit of 

 these works has been shown since the outbreak of the war 

 by their ability to make much of the cloth and the blankets 

 required by the military authorities. The manufacture of 

 paper and cardboard is another industry which has made 

 great progress; in the chemical trade also works have been 

 established. The shale oil industry has not progressed as 

 rapidly as could be desired, although a large amount of 

 capital has been expended on it, much of which is at present 

 bringing in no return, but I trust that the future holds 

 brighter prospects. 



Thanks to scientific investigations, aided by practical 

 knowledge, the recovery of metals from the metalliferous 

 ores mined in the State has been so improved, that mines 

 which would not otherwise have been payable, are now 

 successfully carried on. 



