AMERICAN OIL EXPERT

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3308, 31 March 1926, Page 13

AMERICAN OIL EXPERT

SHADY DOINGS IN QUEENSLAND. MELBOURNE, March 27. When the item crude oil was being dealth with in the course of the tariff debate in the House of Representatives ML Walter Marks made serious allegations regarding what he claimed to be interference on the part of an American in the attempts to find oil in the Lander and Roma bores, Queensland. Mr. Marks asserted that a report from which he quoted had been presented to the directors of the concern interested. This revealed that an expert, who had been secured from America, admitted he had taken steps to get the drilers off the field so that he could obtain sole control When this expert did get control of the field, it was alleged that he blocked the boro and exploded a charge of gelignite inside the casing. The report stated further that the reckless expenditure of this expert had cost the company £BO,OOO. Furthermore, it was alleged that documents found in the office of the expert showed that he was in the habit of sending geological informations regarding the doings of the company to America, and that he had done everything possible to block the work of the company. The report said the company had not taken criminal proceedings, but had allowed the expert to return to America solely out of. consideration for his wife.