CALLING THEIR BLUFF

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 79, 30 September 1938, Page 15

CALLING THEIR BLUFF

Some wild statements were being made by members of the present Labour Cabinet, said Mr. W. Appleton, the National candidate for Wel^ lington Central, at Webb Street last night. The Hon. P. C. Webb, for instance, in an interview at Mcjtueka, had said that the Government Had imported and stored large quantities Of petrol, and would, if a state of emergency arose, call to its aid all practical means of producing oils from coal. "While agreeing with the Minister that the maintenance of adequate supplies of oil is necessary for the carrying on of major industries as well as for the defence of the Dominion, I challenge him to prove his statement that the Government has in fact imported any oil worth speaking about during the last six months," said Mr. Appleton. Mr. Webb knew perfectly well that the starting up of plants to produce oil from coal in a short space of time was utterly impracticable, even if the extremely costly plant was obtainable. "As one who has taken some interest in the matter of hydrogenation plants, I say that the idea of being able to produce adequate supplies of oils from New Zealand coal.within a reasonable time is merely a figment of Mr. Webb's imagination," said the candidate.