INDUSTRIES COMMISSION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16448, 30 May 1919, Page 5

INDUSTRIES COMMISSION.

POSITION OF OIL DEPOSITS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON. May 2!). Before the Industries Committee, Mr. A. J. Rutherford gave some opinions about oil deposits, a matter which he had discussed, he said, with the late Sir James Hector. It had been his opinion always that there, would bo no more big beds of oil struck near the coast of Taranaki owing to the violence of the volcanic disturbances that had occurred there, but further inland, beneath the great envelope of papa, there might be found oil in largo quantities. This papa envelope had not been pierced, except on the Taranaki coast, whore there were little pockets of oil. It was of great depth, because it was accepted that the islands of New Zealand were merely the high altitudes of a great continent. He would advise prospecting inland. It would bo expensive, and the work ought to bo done by the Government. He was strongly of opinion that in this way, if at all, oil would be found, and it "would bo invaluable to the Dominion if oil should bo found in quantity. At places where there were clear indications of faults in the strata there were also signs of oil. Ho would like

to see the Government carry on its prospecting under the advice ' of the best experts procurable.