Taranaki Herald. MONDAY, SEPTEMEBR 14, 1908. THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13751, 14 September 1908, Page 4

Taranaki Herald. MONDAY, SEPTEMEBR 14, 1908. THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

Within the next few weeks two or tlpee, ,o4 ff £he prospecting companies will be holding their annuaP fneetings, when shareholders T wilT have an opportunity, of discussing the policy, present and future, of their directors.- . It must be confessed that, almost without exception, the operations of. the past twelve months have not yielded any encouraging results, but our present purpose is not to criticise what has been done. The directors and managers have done their best, and if they have failed to obtain payable oil it certainly has not been for the want of trying. But what of the future? Will the shareholders be prepared to find the money to continue opera* tions on the lines hitherto followed or will they feel more inw dined to abandon their* efforts to develop an oil industry? There has been sufficient done, in the opinion of, experts,, to prove the existence of a large oil field ; beyond that little more is known now than was fyiown years ago. However, the evidence of the existence of a field is strong enough to warrant further prospecting. In other countries far larger sums of money have been lost before success has rewarded the efforts to find payable oil, and to-day the reward awaiting succesi within the British dominions is greater than ever it was. The shareholders of the local companies are, however, mostly people of very moderate means, and they may not unnaturally hesitate to spend further mon«j in a venture which has so far yielded so little encouragement. Yet it would be a thousand pities if the efforts to find petroleum were relaxed; there is no fear of their being completely abandoned just yet. The question is, what is the best course of procedure for those companies which are hesitating? Take the Inglewood Company, for instance. It has put down one bore and abandoned it, and the directors, it is understood, have a suggestion to make to the shareholders that another well be sunk in .another locality. What are the chances of any better success than in the first

bore ? Will the experience gained 031 Mr. Burgess's property be of any value, or will another bore be as much in the dark as the first ? Take the Bonithon ConiK92JQTi wjjiehj it is understood, iiitends to siiik to 4000 feet. HaV.e the directors or management cjf that company been able to learii anything from the operations &t\ others whictreirables them to go more than guess at the nature §f the country they will have to pass through in boring deeper? It seems to us that much might tie learned if the various companies were to compare notes and records of their boring operations. It is impossible to see into tKe bowels of the earth, but a ge6ldgist, by studying the surface and with the assistance of the information gained by drilling in vari-1 ous localities, could gain some! knowledge, more or less according to the number and distance! apart of the bores, 'of what is down below, and so -be 'able to estimate with some degree of cer- \ tainty the nature of the country to be passed through by boring in any part of the district covered by the experimental drilling. Here we have several bores at Moturoa and Omata, one at Bonithon, one at Vogeltown, another six miles or so up the Carrington Road, and two near Inglewood — one only a shallow one, it is triiß. rf';the : .diaries of the drillers of aM! these: bores were studied colhfififfty; ; : a6nie Valuable data would probably, be obtained to g^^e^furtiier operations, Unrbrluhatel/ most of the companies and drillers have adopted a policy of secrecy. The experience of one has not been permitted to help another for some reason which we have never been able to understand. There is no sound reason that we can see why the fullest information about the diilling should not be made available, and we venture to make a suggestion to shareholders who hesitate to continue spending money in what appears to be as a lottery as ever, in spit* of the experience and knowledge gained by individual companies. Our suggestion is that the Gov-i eminent should be approached by the various companies with a view of having as complete a geological survey made as is possible with the data the companies can furnish, and that the companies should then unite in obtaining, through the Government, the services of the "very best expert obtainable — not a mere driller, bui such an authority as Sir Bovertojj Redwood, if he were available — to visit the district and advise. A very high fee would doubtless have to be paid, more than one company could afford, but with a geological surveyor's report it guide him he would probably be able to give advice which would save the loss of many thousands of pounds in boring in localities where the chances of success were small, even if he were not able to place his hand upon any spot and sa^ " Here you will get oil." We recognise that exceedingly valuable work has beea done by the small prospecting companies, but its value is lost by the information being withheld. A very high authority has expressed confidence in the existence of an oil field in this locality; nothing but the drill can locate it; and every bore adds to the knowledge of the nature of the country beneath us. What then seems to be required now is that the knowledge shall be pooled as it were and so be made of practical use. If any company intending to start another bore had all the data acquired at j Us disposal and the advice of an expert to guide it the chances of success would be appreciably improved. We doubt if there is anyone in New Zealand who can say "it is no use boring in this spot," or "You may probably get payable oil in that," and none of the present companies is in a position to obtain the highest expert advice. By co-operation they may obtain it, and the successful establishment of an oil industry means so much to the Empire, to this Dominion, and especially to Taranaki, that an effort should be made to continue the prospecting, but on systematic lines. \7 '

In the. Magistrate's Court this, morning, before Mr H. 8. Fitzherbert, S.M., judgment was given for the Taranaki County Council by default against the following:- — Bessie Lynch, 3s 7d (costs £2 9s 6d) ; M. Green, Is 3d (£2 8s 6d); Annie Gore Pigott, Is Id (3s); Charles Hirgh" StOtt," Is I'd (os); William Nichols, Is Id (3s). The Eltham Dairy Company \a ill pay out Is lid per lb for last month's but-ter-fat, or £1440 in the aggregate. Last month the company made 28,7831bs of butter. The overrun was 12.72 and the average test 4.03. The company is now making about ljtons of butter daily, a few boxes more than at this time .last year. The official opening of the extension of the Esplanade towards the Harbour will take place on Thursday afternoon. This work has been carried out under the supervision of Mr G. Tisch (Mayor), but now that it is nearing completion Mr Tisch has decided to hand it over to the Seaside Committee. The work of extending this promenade in the direction of Fitzroy is progressing satisfactorily. At a meeting* of the Opunake Harbour Board on Wednesday a speaker of the Opunake deputation unconsciously paid a high tribute to the ability of j the "leading lights" of. New Plymouth. He stated that one time he believed that Opunake would get the railway, but he felt certain it would not be put on the authorisation list this session. It would be built—when New. Plymouth asked^ for it — and the way iheyjwanted it to go. Missionary services were conducted at Whiteley Memorial Church yesterday' by the Rey. W. ; E. Bromelow, of the New Guinea, Mission. .There were large congregations' at both morning and evening services. , Iri the afternoon missionary addresses Were delivered to the children of the Sunday School and a large number of friends. Mrs Bromelow assisted at tho evening service, giving an interesting account of her experiences among the natives of Papua, and joining with her husband in singing a nynvn in the native language. This evening Mr and Mrs' Bromelow will give a lecture on missionary, , work in New: Gnine*. ' • "' ; For the month, of August. the total slaughterings at the municipal abattoirs were 1134, made up as, follows :V— For local consumption: ,192 cows, 18 calves, 551 sheep, 12 lambs, and 160 pigs. There were also 180 tripes cleaned and 2 calves', heads, and. feet and 2 ox heels supplied. Compared with same period last year the figures show an increase of 14 calves and 25 tripes, and a decrease of 104 sheep, 5 lambs, 41 pigs and 6 cows. There were also 7 cows, 1 calf, 1 sheep, and 2 pigs condemned. For export the slaughtering figures were : 222 cows, 4 bullocks, and 29 bulls — an increase of 119 head. Twenty-two cows, 1 bullock, and 2 bulls were condemned. Slaughtering fees for the month were £163 3s lid, rents £3 5s 6d, sundries 9s; total, £166 18g5d. ♦ ;-..., An editorial in tlio ChristchurCh Press, dealing with the Second Ballot Bill, and bearing the title "A Monstrous Proposal/ concludes as follows: — "If the people of New Zealand tamely submit to such infamous tyranny as this it will not be long before it is made a criminal offence for them to discuss politics at all before an election. They will simnly have to vote blindfold for the candidate whom the Government is pleased to favour, and we must say they will richly deserve their fate. , A people who will tamely submit to having the right of a free platform and a free press taken [away from them do not deserve any "right at all.*' The Auckland Herald, referring to the Bill, says: — "The question involved in this new proposition is pot merely the freedom of the press, it is the freedom of speech, the freedom of argument, the privilege of candidates; the right of the public." A magistrate does not expect, gratitude even when he treats the man in the dock leniently^ It probably came as a surprise to Mr W. P. James, S.M., to receive the following letter from a woman resident in Levin in appreciation of the manner in which he dealt with an accused person who was chWgeti before him : nearly three years ago: "My husband has asked me to write to you. Perhaps you do not remember him. He is —:—,: — , who was charged in December, 1905,, at Eketahuna, on a charge of — — . He just wishes me .to tell you he has taken the warning you gavte him when you dismissed the case, and that was the turning point of his life. * He is now a thorough Christian, and a steady and respectable man. 1 have read the evidence of the case, and I have to thank you for treating him as you did. If you had done otherwise and sent him to gaol t hjs r life would probably have been ruined." The * 'swagger" is always with the squatter; and it? is not going too far to say that the squatter has no time for him. In the Wairarapa recently a man applied for work, and was given a job at cutting scrub, and for that purpose quite a number of pounds were spent in providing him with an outfit— tent, tools, and so on. Before commencing work he applied for an advance, which was refused. He set the tent on fire and cleared out. A party of men who asked for work were put on to a job. Before starting they ato everything they could possibly hold, and took the requisite tools to the scene of the. work. They left the work before doing anything, worth doing, and took the tools with tfhem. In fact, the term "swagger," judging from what was said, is synonymous with 4oaf er, and some stationholdors seem to hold him in greater horror than the leasehold or the singletax. One of the fraternity is evidently a freak. He is a big man, works hard when he is at work, and eats a good deal more than, one sheep' per week. And under no conditions will- he stay more than a fortnight in one place. The Socialist party in Dunedin has opened a Sunday school, about thirty scholars attending. Miss Lowe, who hails from England, and who has had considerable experience in the" Labour churches there, was appointed superintendent. It was explained that the children would not be taught anything about the hereafter, about which they had no definite knowledge, but they would be 'taught how to live and be happy, and that the best way to be hapby was to make other people happy. To do that they would have to remove aIL the barriers that separated the human race into classes and races, and fostered hate, and which caused starvation, sweating, and unemployment. They would be taught that the world held sufficient to satisfy the needs of, all, and that when they grew up they must fight to remove wrongs that prevented people from being happy. and contented and loving one another. They would have' placed before them all the great thoughts from every thinker, and would be taught to be guided by reason. The scholars saluted the Red Flag, which they were told was the symbol of Humanity, Love, Peace, Order, and Troth.

Gisborne is doing its best to keep the rradlos full. During the past three weeks the registrar has had to record no fewer than three pairs of twins — sons in each instance. The voluntary contribution^ to hospitals in New Zealand for the five years ended March 31st last amounted to £67,«69 17s 4(1, of which £7653 7s 7d was received in Wellington. The number of Maori village schools in operation at the end of last year was 99, and the number of children on the rolls was 4183 — an increase of nine for the year. Developments of an unusual nature are said to be pending in volunteer circles in Oamaru. It is said that charges have been laid of the manipttla-, tion of returns and the falsification of parade states, and that legal proceedings for defamation arc likely to ensue. The.Eltham County Council has accepted the offer of a local syndicate to lay 30 chains of road from Klthani 4 to Opunake" with concrete^ blocks, at £10 per chain, the Council to pay only £5 per chain if after six months' trial the work proves unsatisfactory. The Prime Minister hold*. lop kis constituency as a good example of modesty, for during the whole time he has represented Awarua it has' not obtained a single extra line of railway, while of the five or six public buildings which have been erected, not one nas cost over £3000. \.f A few nights ago the Martinboftragli night watchman discovered a brace of drinkers in the Catholic Church. They had provided themselves with a reasonable store of liquor. The Presbyterian Church at Martinborougb has been similarly utilised as a soakers' retreat, according to the Wairarapa Daily News. When the Eltham County was foraged out of the Hawera Pounty, there A^re several special loans, and the question of liability for special rates has since been in dispute between the two bodies. The Eltham Council has now asked Hawera to co-operate irf seating a, case regarding the loans for the Supreme or Appeal Court. One of the blockhouses erected by tlie first French settlers in A'karoa now serves the 5 purpose of a tea kiosk in the Domain Gardens there. The walls of the btepfchfcuse are still intact, ibut it has been necessary to re-roof the structure owing to the ravages of time. These blqcknouses(s*ys a Chr^stchurch paper) were built for protective purposes in the evsn* of^he settlers being attacked by the Maoris. The three Government steamers, Hinemoa, Tutanekai, and Amokura, are not maintained^" without the expenditure of a tidy Jjttle. gum. Last year the disbursement *«ggregated > £23,011 3s 4d. The actuaT working expenses of the Tutanekai Veamc to £9935 2s -2d, those of the Hinemoa to £9175 3s 9d, and those of the. Amokura to £5295, 6s Bd. The sum Gained by, the .steamers in freights, passages, etc, was £2493 17s In July the*re 'wire 3434 artisans and labourers employed on co-operative work* * jat. rJte* v&ealawl^ * the North -TjtuW .l&ie Having 884. Tjie.^pmrtwent of .J&bad^ fusing the sa^e'moMh liaav2432 labourers on -its b&oks^Wklana 424, :Te Kuiti 350, Rbturoa 26^ Hawke's Bay 229, WangavtiA 254, 'jWellington' 162; 0ri50n. 242, Westjand 132, Marlborough 52, Canterbury 37, Otagof 18, Southlarid 72, making a total of 5866 employed on road and railway co-operative works. Interest is already, being taken by anglers in " the opening of the fishing season on. October. 1, says the Hawera Star. . The Hawera Acclimatisation Society .is »bout to distribute JLsh in the variqus str«jaaas-.- of. the district. Next week roughly from 500Q to 8000 fish will be liberated in the Oeo, Ouri, Punehu and Tangatara streams/ in the Pihama district. The WaijDgongoro stream' is also ,to receive its first instalment of about 10,000. N,o fewer than 31,000 fry have been, sold to the New Plymouth Society; and are^o. b\e forwarded during the week. . There has just been dismantled in Young Street ono of New Plymouth's oldest houses. It was originally built in Brougham .Street in*, the year 1848 for Mr George Duncan, who carried on business as a bookseller. The contractor was, the late Mr T. Clare, and the late Mr W. Sole was an apprentice on the job. The 'timber used- was sawn* by the late Mr T^Wlie&er on the ground at the baclf 6| tfie racecourse; - Thirtyttfo years ago,, the building was removed to Devonport and fitted as a dwelling house for Mr George Cock, who had lived' hr it ever' since. The 'timber was riau and puketea. It was as sound when stripped from the building as on the t d;ay it was put in. Opposition to\*(he Hawera County Council's decision to abandon the Ha-wera-Kaupokomii tramway scheme is growing throughout the Hawera district. At a meeting of the Hawera Chamber of Commerce on Friday, the following resolution was carried unanimously : "Seeing that the informal poll was carried by" a three-fifths majority and by a laijge vote than would bo required by the $tatutory .poll to carry the proposal,,, .this .Chamber protests ag&inst the Scheme being declared abandoned, and in the opinion of this Chamber steps should be immediately talten for a statutory poll, and that a deputation from this Chamber wait on thd Hawera Coiraty, Council at its next meeting." C r i ' • There arc severall weighty reasons wljy the Hawea broke her tail-shaft, according to sailors >; *superstition. First of ?all the ship's cat deserted at Newcastle. This caused great concern amongst the men. A, f urjbher .cause fpr appreftensioh was "tlie* cfrcTtmstantSß'timt; the f£w rats on the ship disappeared in unaccountable fashion just before the trip was entered upon, But the crowning misfortune happened on July 28. An* albatross was seen sailing round the vessel for "hours. Then with a sudden swoop it smashed into the funnel and dropped on the deck dead. That clinched matters. Every man fen; the ship knew that some trouble or' other was inevitable. On the following day tho shaft snapped, and the vessel was helpless. Five years ago, when the Government was negotiating for the acquirement of the Manawatu Railway Line, a certain Wellington financial authority counselled offering 32s 6d per share. Mr Seddon, however, refused to go beyond 80s, saying that the directors of the- company favoured the sale at that figure. The aforesaid authority urged Mr Seddon not to "miss the 'bus/ as the bulk of the shareholders were disinclined to sacrifice good property. How sound that advice was is now a matter of history. The directors did favour the sale at 30s, but the- shareholders took the bit between their teeth, . and turned out their chairman, replacing him by one who supported the sale "on equitable terms,"' then understood to mean 32s 6d per share. "Missing the 'bus" on that occasion co3t the colony over £200,000. This statement of the case is made by a strong Government organ, the Dunedin Star. ;

Those who took the wrong dishes by mistake from the Hospital BaU can exchange them for their>«wn at_Messi> Gilmouf and Clarke's office, Egmont Street. \ , ■ Cabinet has decided riot to -accept any of the nine tenders received *<***£ erection of the new General Post J*»ice at Wellington. All tenders werp coiisiderahly in excess of the estimate, Jr. is reported that the lowest tender was about £100,000.— Wellington telegfani. The Opunako railway question .cam© up for discussion at a meeting of ,tbto Hawera Chamber of Commerce on Friday last. A resolution urging the Government to complete this work and include Normanby in the route /was carried.