BRIGHT OUTLOOK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19821, 24 December 1938, Page 16

BRIGHT OUTLOOK

MINING IN DOMINION WIDE QUEST FOR OIL NI'VYV GOLD DREDGES. SURVEY BY MINISTER { lvr Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. In a statement issued yesterday, the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webu, says:— "As the year draws to a close. J derive sonic measure 01 sausiacuon i.uiii uie pi'Uoicoo wiiicn has been maae in our mining industry darmg the past 12 months. "First of all, the petroleum legislation passed o.y Parliament at uih tn'j 01 i»<ji lias proved very sound, ai;u nas fcuui a great impetus lo me searcn lor oil. several major organxsat.ui- wiui uie strongest miaiiciax and technical backing in the world have applied lor and nave been granted oilprospecting rignts over considerable areas. To date licenses have Deen yiamed o\ er <uurJ square nines ox lemiury l\o less Uian au geologists ... ...;j.]ji.i.j i;) u;t ai woiK in d.ilerwn parts of the country The ....v., ... .s poniuid util "uiat Una xorce .... io uuoUi mreij tunes as great a;- uie present personnel 01 tne i\e\v Zealand Government u-eoiogica. »ui tcj date drilling plant is aireaay at work near Uisoorne, putting down trie nrst well lor tne i\ew Zeaiand Petroleum JLuipany, limited. Search For Gold "I am looking forward with the greatest of interest to possible developments; In in the goldmining industry. Another important milestone was passed a wees or two u S o, wlien two magnificent, modern uriidges commenced operations on the west Coast. These machines mark a .:ew era in the industry and are the forerunners of several similar plants ..ow u-.uer construction. One of these dredges is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and is thought to be the second largest in the world. The first return from these huge machines will oe watched with Uie greatest of .merest by the mining industry and the investing public. These develop-

...ciivo on die West Coast have been largely brought about by the Government's action in making ample supplies ot eiectric power available and by the construction of a transmission u.c. tiic ui.ncu.li terrain'between Lake Coleridge and Westland.

"iii uie coal-mining industry, conditions have been satisfactory, and 1 looK forward with confidence to greater production in and to an extended use of our New Zealand in ou>- gasworks and other fuel-consuming units."