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Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1925, Page 2

Tun introduction of the public motorbus to New Zealand is not being made easy by the action of municipalities owning electric tramway systems. The competition of the motor-lorry with the State Railway service, too, has added to the difficulties of extending the business of motor importers in tin’s direction. Competition with the railways in the matter of goods traffic has been met to some extent by revision of goods rates and with passenger traffic receipts by increased travelling facilities. New regulations of the road traffic in the form of licences, and in other ways, lias also minimised competition with the Government railway transport interests. It is estimated that- the investment of municipalities in electric tramways in New Zealand is £ti,o()n.()on, and employees connected with them number over 3,000. A point lias been made of this aspect of the matter in approaching the Government for legislation that, if granted, will not make it easy for unrestricted competition of the motor-bus with electric tramways owned by the cities. The motor-trade is fully sensible of the handicaps being placed on expansion of the business in vehicles fur street, and long-distance freight and p.'--cngcr business. For all ihc-e hindrances to its development, public motor traffic for goods and passenger.- is making good progress in. New Zealand. A census, the first of il- kind in tin’s country, was rerenlK completed. «>l the number of motor-vehicles in service as on June 22nd. The following are the figures: —70.206 motor-ears; 7.713 one-ton trucks; 1.0751 two-ton trucks; 7-15 three-ton trucks; (i-lfi tourton trucks; 2-11 live-ton trucks; 12 sixton trucks; 15 trucks over six tuns: 1.015 motor-lnises: 305 traction engines; 13-1 tlircc-wbcclcd trailers; 213 two-wheel trailers: 128 tractors; 13 road rollers; 90 fire engines; 50 ambulances: 111 other vehicles : and 21.132 motor-cvcles.

With regard to the production ul petroleum ill New Zealand boring is .stead ilv progressing in the Taranaki District at New Plymouth, on the coast, and at Tarata, some few miles inland. 'the work is being carried on by an Australian company with British investors interested. The same company has recently acquired opt ions over a property in Poverty llav, and is associated with

prospecting rights over a large area on the West Coast of this Island. exploratory work lias been conducted at New Plymouth for a great many years, but the returns p, investors have never been encouraging, although money has been made in the turnover of shares. A former company with British and New Zealand capital raised (to.0(111 barrels of oil. which were refined and sold; some of the oil was sold in its crude state for fuel. The refinery was taken down some years ago and re-erected in Persia. the prospects of the Taranaki fields now being worked arc reported to lie highly satisfactory, as the boring is being done upon the best'and most severely tested principles, whereas work in the past was unskilful and resulted in collapse of easing, and Hooding. One bore already down 2.300 ft. lias been yielding oil for the past fifteen years. These New Plymouth wells are close to the sea. within a few yards of high water in some instances and the port itself has every facility already for handling a large shipping trade if the outputs of the wells should ever require it.