THE OIL INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1041, 2 February 1911, Page 3

THE OIL INDUSTRY.

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. !By TelcEraph.-Special Corrcaponaent.l : - Auckland, January 31. . In responding to a toast at the banquet of the Institute of Mining Engineers held last night,' tho Hon. Seymour Thome George referred to , the prospects of the Hew Zealand oil industry. Petroleum, he said, was going to play a great part in ruling the seas in years to come. All the big'steamers; tho cruisers, and the battleships of tho Empire would almost of a certainty at no distant date burn oil fuel. As a' natural consequenco there must be an "All-Red line" of oil depots, in which New. Zealand and Australia would 'fall in. In New Zealand there were very valuable oil deposits, to which work had been devote<l for smno years in a somewhat perfunctory manner. Ho desired to draw the attention of tho Priino Minister and of the Minister for Mines to tho fact that among those present was one of the oil experts of the world. The Government should take advantage of the visit of this expert, Mr. J. D. Henry, and secure from him an authoritative report upon tho oilfields of New Zealand and of their prospects. Jlr.' J. D. Henry, an oil expert, who is investigating the oil resources of New Zealand, speaking later, referred to the great encouragement which had been given 'to thoso interested in the oil industry in Taranaki ...by tho recent visit of the Governor. They were almost amazed at 'the bald inquisi'tireness of his Excellency and remembered with the deepest gratitude the interest he showed in the industry. Tho visit of Sir Joseph Ward just afterwards'was also much appreciated. As a Britisher ho had a great interest in tho future of tho oil industry in New Zealand, and he would do all ho could to further it in London.- Whatever the Government could do for the industry it deserved. ' ... '