NEW ZEALAND MINES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10651, 26 July 1920, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND MINES

AND EXPERTS FROM MEXICO. "What has become of New Zealand's much-boosted petrol supply?" wus the query put to a "Times" reporter. "Some years ago the oil wells of the Taranaki district were being boomed in the most insistent manner, and a largo amount of capital was subscribed for development work. I know.'' added the int'orinant' somewhat, regretful"for some of my capital went west. We heard of gushing wells, spouting I don't know how many thousands ot gallons skyward, until it was made to appear" that New Plymouth was in danger of being inundated with oil — Hooded out. in fact. What has gone wrong'with the fthow, anyhow? Is it a fact that sfcrcno of the oil experta who were said to be interesting themselves in the wells audi promised to develop them as was never contemplated by the more modest 'amateur' engineers, never got much forrader with the scheme?

"I remember some years back certain individuals—visitors to New Zealand—who claimed connection with the German-owned oil territories of Mexico stating that, given a fair chance, they would flood New Zealand with good oil and make tho fortunes of tho shareholders. Micro hasn't been much flooding, haa there? And as tor tho fortunes—they're as mythical ae their oil-flood. - 'I (really. would _ like a 'Dimes' man to So further into this particular phase of the question. Far trom it tor me to make charges or even suggest allegations, but all tho same I and others would like to know what became of tho experts {who claimed, association with the German-owned mines of Mexico, who ran through New Zealand and interested themselves in various oil and mining properties here,, and tihen.apparently dropped the whole thing like a hot potato."