THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, MAY 17, 1948 THE WORLD’S OIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26773, 17 May 1948, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, MAY 17, 1948 THE WORLD’S OIL

The mechanised world of to-day moves on the oil that is pumped from the deposits beneath its crust, and as the demand for oil and its many distillates increases, so are the efforts intensified to tap the vast reserves that still lie in geological faults where only the magic of modern science can discover them. These reserves are vast. An acknowledged American authority on the subject has estimated them as “ amounting to perhaps six hundred billion barrels of crude petroleum—sufficient at the present rate of consumption of liquid fuels to supply the world’s needs for 250 years.” How accurate this'estimate may be it is impossible for the layman to judge; nor is it a matter for his immediate concern. The point of more direct interest is the fact that these reserves are not • being exploited at a rate sufficient to meet the demand, and for some years yet the supply of oil will remain a problem. A warning to this effect has been given by Mr Alfred Robens, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Fuel, in the House of Commons, and similar predictions have beety made from authoritative quarters the world over. One reason for the present difficulties is that the United States, the world’s greatest producer, has become a net importing country, but even this demand could be met if the problem of steel for tankers and the mapy mechanical contrivances necessary for the refining and distribution of oil could be overcome.

The United States, with an output of more than 5,000,000 barrels daily, is at present producing two-thirds of the world supply of oil, but it is drawing on its reserves more rapidly than any other nation and is still failing to meet the mounting demand from domestic users. The narrowness of the margin on which the United States is operating was emphasised in a report by a subcommittee of the House of Representatives recently which stated that in the event of another war the United States would be 3,000,000 barrels a day short of requirements. In order to overcome present and future shortages, therefore, American oil interests have moved into the Middle East, and because these interests are essential to American security, politics have followed. The Middle East is the richest known oil-bearing region in the world—its resources being probably greater than those of Russia. Its proved reserves amount to more than 21,000,000,000 barrels, of which Persia holds 6,500,000,000 barrels, Saudi Arabia 5,100,000,000 barrels and Iraq 5,000,000,000. As long ago as 1914 the British Government took positive steps to secure supplies of fuel by purchasing a controlling interest in the Anglo-Iranian Company, and its refinery at Abadan is to-day the largest of its kind in the world, having a capacity of more than 400,000 barrels a day. Similarly the British Government has an interest in the Iraq deposits. For many years, however, the fiercely puritanical Ibn Saud, of Saudi Arabia, refused to negotiate with outside interests but latterly he has proved more amenable to bargaining and American companies have already commenced to produce from Arabian wells. The deal has been a profitable one for Ibn Saud. In addition to loans and advances by the Governments of both the United States and Great Britain, and from the companies concerned, he receives a royalty of approximately 22 cents a barrel for all oil produced, and is accumulating sufficient funds to create a tremendous improvement in the living conditions of the people of his arid country. It will thus be seen that the world is not likely to suffer from a shortage of supplies .of oil for very many years, but until new equipment is provided to build' the installations that are required in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to restore . the refineries that were destroyed in Indonesia during the war, the problems of refinement and distribution are likely to cause inconvenience to consumers, for some time to come.

ACCREDITING

After experiencing the new accrediting system for four y,ears, a considerable body of secondary_school teachers, and others, are of the opinion that it does not meet the requirements of the situation. This development is not altogether unexpected. The change-over from the old system of the -matriculation examination was a major one, and has affected the whole of the curriculum of the high schools. It would have been remarkable if the first experiment had been completely successful. It is too soon yet to decide that the principle is faulty, but it should certainly be possible now to make some useful observations on the subject and perhaps to suggest some changes. The remit which was proposed at the annual conference of the New Zealand Secondary School Teachers’ Association, that schools should either revert to the old system or seek some new method for the future, was rightly inspired, but erred in being too definite in its aim. This led to its rejection by the conference.

The criticisms which have been levelled against the present system are serious. It is stated that it does not produce a uniform standard. A greater tolerance in one school may make it attractive to parents of prospective pupils to the detriment of a neighbouring institution which is then exposed to the temptation of lowering its own standards as an alternative to a possible loss in grading. In this and in other ways accrediting, as at present conducted, has lowered the standard of pupils entering the university. Students are admitted who simply are not fitted for university education. Years of their lives are wasted, the system is choked so that it cannot work with the maximum efficiency, and its standards are in turn debased by mediocrity. There is also a greatlyincreased burden on the taxpayer to no. good .purpose whatever. In the secondary schools themselves the system causes confusion. It is not always possible to separate ac--credited pupils from those who have to sit the examination, so that teaching has to be divided. Another difficulty is an inheritance from the old matriculation examination. This

came to be regarded by parents and by employers not as a university entrance examination, but as a general certificate of proficiency. There is still a tendency to view the new examination as one which has a value outside the educational system. This problem is one which can be overcome in time. The other grounds for criticism should be met by adapting the system of accrediting. The principle itself has not been demonstrated to be bad. The conference has been wise not to indulge in hasty condemnation, but even at this stage it might have gone further than simply deferring consideration of the matter “for at least another year.”