OIL FROM COAL

Southland Times, Issue 22073, 21 July 1933, Page 7

OIL FROM COAL

USE BY AIR SQUADRON. (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Rugby, July 19. The Home Defence Air Squadron was solely on oil extracted from British coal, stated Sir Philip Sassoon in the House of Commons to-day. AUSTRALIA INTERESTED. (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright.) (Rec. 9.55 p.m.) Canberra, July 20. Senator McLachlan, Minister in Charge of Development, announces that steps have been taken to obtain the fullest information regarding the British process of extracting oil from coal. POSSIBLE RESULTS PROSPECTS IN DOMINION. REVIVAL OF COAL-MINING. A revival of the coal-mining industry in New Zealand, the employment of thousands of men and a trade stimulus to Canterbury, were mentioned on Wednesday by Mr J. D. Lynch, of Christchurch, as possible further results of the proposals of the British Government to give preference to light hydro-carbon oils, manufactured in Britain from indigenous coal, shale or peat (says the Times).

Mr Lynch, who has had nearly forty years’ practical experience of coal production on the West Coast, stated that the announcement regarding the manufacture of motor spirit and light oils from coal distillation gave considerable cause for optimism in the Dominion. Imperial Chemical Industries, which had the exclusive right to operate the hydrogenation process in Great Britain and was prepared to erect a plant for making petrol from coal, was already indirectly interested in preparing coal for carbonization in the Dominion. The published cable news gave promise of material assistance in the early development of the New Zealand coalfields industry. This would enable the production of cheap oils for both internal consumption and export. “The coal-mining industry in New Zealand can be revived and made an asset,” said Mr Lynch. “It can provide employment for many thousands of men, not only in coal production but also in the manufacture of petrol for home consumption from the distillation of coal.”

The prospects of a trade stimulus in Canterbury alone were outlined by Mr Lynch. He said that Canterbury traders would agree as to the benefits conferred upon them as a result of the opening of the Otira tunnel. It would not be difficult to forecast what would happen if oil distilled from coal on the West Coast was railed, through the tunnel in bulk for shipment overseas from Lyttelton or other east coast ports. “England to-day imports all her oil,” stated Mr Lynch. “May we not look forward to the time when New Zealand may help to pioneer an export trade in oil in the same manner as she did with frozen meat?”

Mr Lynch said that the geophysical and geographical surveys recently undertaken by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on a portion of the West Coast coalfields had revealed a large additional area of coal available for convenient development. This would be of enormous help in stimulating coal production and the manufacture of petrol, which would make New Zealand independent of the United States.

“I am not now directly interested in the coal trade,” said Mr Lynch, “but I do feel like so many others in our Dominion to-day that coal and gold production on sound lines will materially and quickly provide employment for many thousands of workers and help to restore prosperity to the country. We have the natural wealth in a country with a population of 1,590,000 and smaller in area than Japan, which, with 63,000,000 inhabitants, is teaching the world to-day how to produce goods.”