OREPUKI SHALE WORKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2490, 4 December 1901, Page 32

OREPUKI SHALE WORKS.

A VISIT BY THE PREMIER AND PARTY.

(Br Oite Special Reposteb.* OREPUKI, December 2.

The Right Hon. the Premier and Sir J. G. Ward visited the New Zealand Coal and Oil Company's Works at Orepuki to-day. The special train, which left Dunedin at 7.45 a.m., took a large party, consisting of Messrs Sinclair Thomson, T. Brydone, W. L. Simpson * (directors), W. P. Watson (managerl, J. A. Millar, M.H.R., J. F. Arnold, M.H.R., J. H. Morrison, W. Burr, J. Rattray, and a number of others. The run to Invercargill was made in four hours 45 minutes, including stoppages amounting to about 25 minutes. A halt was made at Invercargill for lunch, and the journey was resumed at 1.25. Orepuki was reached about 3 o'clock, and half the town came down to the station to see the train come in.

Mr J. P. Young, one of the leading townsmen of Orepuki, extended a welcome to the visitors on behalf of the residents. He said when the Premier saw the shalei works he would realise their importance to the district and to the colony. He was also satisfied that if Mr Seddon had time to look round the district he would find a thriving- population growing up, and beautiful wild bu"li around it. — (Cheers.) " Tlie Premier, in reply, said Mr Young wa3 in error in assuming that it was his first visit to Orepuki. He had been there before, and had on that occasion prophesied 8 future for the district. He was glad to see the great advance that had taken place, and although he could not have prognosticated that they would have oil and shale works, or that such a large amount of money would be spent in the development of the oil industry, he knew that they had gold, good land, and energetic settlers, anct therefore they were bound to succeed. — (Cheers.) He was therefore not surprised to see there had been a marked improvement in respect to Orepuki. It was the desire of the Government to encourage industries and where they had an industry of the character of the> Orepuki shale works, and with such potentialities, it was the bounden duty of those entrusted with the government of the country to go and see it for themselves. It was right that the Government should do its part in promoting and assisting such aii industry. — (Cheers.) It was not one of those cases where the oil spouted out of the ground by the gallon, but it required a large expenditure of iabour and money before the oil could be produced at a profit. He would not, until he had seen for himself, express any opinion as to what the ultimate result might be. He had with him his colleague, Sir J. G. Ward — (cheers), — and he might add that as a Government his Administration could claim, that when they promised anything they generally performed it. Mr Seddon concluded by wishing the residents of Orepuki a bright and prosperous future. Sir Joseph Ward, in response to calls from the assembled crowd for a speech, said he was exceedingly pleased to have thp opportunity of being again in Orepuki, and reminded those pi- ~unt that even if he was not there for tue purpose of considering the extension of the railway as on the occasion of his la-fc -v isit, they were there to see if they could get the necessary fuel and oil to carry the railways elsewhere. He couid only hope that this great industry might prove to be one fully entitled to all the encomiums which had been passed on it.— (Cheers.) Mr Gilfcdder also spoke briefly. VISIT TO TKL MINI:.

A <=fart was then made for the shale v,-(j'-ks, and on arrival there the Premier was conducted over them personally by the manager (Mr Dunlop). Beginning at the mouth of the mine, the whole party were afforded an opportunity of studying the lengthy and elaborate process whereby the shale is converted into marketable products, the chief, of course, being an llluminant oil and the less important paraffin wax and ammonia. The magnitude of the

indm^jbry came as %*i6velatidfr to those A visiting the works for the first time, and this " spot, which a few years ago was covered •with dense bush, is now covered with buildings, costly machinery, and plant, worth £100,000. About an hour and a-half was thus spent looking over the works, when a return was made to the township.