The Motor World

NZ Truth, Issue 725, 10 May 1919, Page 8

The Motor World

(By "Crank.") In the course of a recent paper read before the institution of' Petroleum Technologists by Dr. F. Mollwo Perkin on the subject of "The Production of Oil from Mineral Sources," he remarked; "At the' outbreak of the war, the world's production of natural oil was m the neighbourhood of 50,000,000 tons, and last year over 60,000,000 tons. Before the war Great Britain was, with the exception of the oil obtained from, the Scottish shale oil industry , (275,000 tons crude oil), entirely dependent upon imported oil for all the various purposes for which oil is required. Our aeroplanes, warships, motor-cars, etc., were dependent upon sea transport for petrol and. fuel oil, and our machinery for lubricants. Unfortunately we are still m the same- posit'on. "Great Britain, with her vast Navy and her great fleet of aerop'anes, is dependent for fuel upon - sea-borne transport, and this should not be necessary, or at any-* rate only m a partial degree. In the future our ships will probably burn oil fuel. We have at hand mineral sources from which we can . produce mineral oils— -petrol, fuel oil, lubricating- oils and paraffin wax Why do we not employ these sources? There are, of .course, many difficulties m founding a new industry, and one of the greatest difficulties has been Government action ( or inaction. There is now, however, a stirring among the dead bones, .... a great deal of experimental work -has been carried out, much of it on semi -commercial plant, and there are now. ; several large schemes undey consideration which w,quld involve the putting up of an extensive plant both for retorting and refining oil, and to obtain power from the residuals, or domestic fine}. -, Historically, the first low-tempera-ture distlllatlpn process was devised by James Young In 1847, who had his attention drawp to oil which flowed from spme poal . workings m Perby£hh;e. ';:. ' . ' The amount oi shale treated m. the Scottish ' retoiyts is over 3,000,000 tons per annum;' '■which before the war produced about 275..000 tons of crude oil, or over 70,000,000 gallons. I do not know how much was produced during 1 the war. The marketable products produced by the distillation and refining^ of the crude oil and their approximate yields are on a pre-war basis: . . ':'■■', 'Motor spirit' .. 600,000 gals. Naphtha .., .. 4,400,000 „ ' Burning oil .. 20.000,000 w Gas or fuel oils. . ' 12,000.000 „' • Lubricating oils.. 10,000,0,00 „ Paraffin wax „. 25.000 tons „ Sulphate of ammonia 55,000 The total value of the- products exceeded £2,000,000 per annum." , According .to the Wellington correspondent of the, American "Motor World," a considerable drop m the price of petrol may be expected m the near future. The United .States Shipping Board has returned 145 tankers, which had been commandeered for war purposes, to their owners. ' The majority of those vessels will be employed almost immediately to, bring' oil to America ifrom the Mexican fields. ' The total deadweight tonnage of the ships returned to their owners is 1,140,000. PLEDGES ALL BROKEN. DRINKO EFFECTS' CURB.' An Auckland wife writes : "I am pleased to state that the patient started on his fourth packet to-day. From the first pow* der he haa not tasted drink. It isimarvellous as he has been a heavy drinker. Fledges ana promises were broken over and over Rgain." . Could anything be more convincing? We have dozens of similar letters. Drinko can be given m any liquid or food and secretly if desired. Treatment ia not expensive and will not harm anyone, Booklet with testimonials free m sealed envelope pn request. State if J£r., Mrs., or jyiiaa. Address m strictest confidence, La4y tyfanagfer, £>rJnko. Proprietary, 212, A.T. Lanibton Quay, Wellington.