MOST ENCOURAGING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 71, 23 March 1912, Page 7

MOST ENCOURAGING

«*> NEW ZEALAND'S OILFIELDS. MR. HENRY INTERVIEWED. A SUGGESTION. By Telegraph.— Press ABSooiation.—Copyrlght. (Received March 23, 11.30 a.m.) • LONDON, 22nd March. Mr. J. D. Henry, the oil expert, interviewed on his return from New Zealand, said recent developments in connection with New Zealand's oilfields wore most encouraging. Petroleum developments along an All Red route show, added Mr. Henry, that it will be possible to maintain ample supplies along the Empire's ocean routes. He advocates that obsolete battleships should be utilised a* oil tanks. [Interviewed before he left New Zealand, Mr. Henry said :— " The subject of oil fuel for the navy is one of great importance in the caee of New Zealand oilnelds. particularly at the present time, when there is reasonable hope of Auckland shortly becoming the naval base of tho South Pacific. It is not," he said, " open to doub'i that British war vessels stationed in these waters will burn liquid fuel in years to come, and the British Colonial Office and the Admiralty, never slow to encourage the opening up of new oilfields, will do everything in reason to assist New Zealand oil men. A naval need of the times is a permanent allBritish supply of liquid fuel up to the standard demanded by the authorities." Mr. Henry added that the Taranaki oUmen had sent over a- large quantity of local production to be tested in London. It was, he said,, too early to express an opinion as to what the result would be, but he mentioned the interesting fact that there was every prospect of the New Zealand battleship burning oil fuel produced in the Dominion.] ■