Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Wednesday & Saturday SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 917, 12 February 1881, Page 3

Poverty Bay Standard.

Published Every Wednesday & Saturday SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1881.

“We shall sell to no mail Justice or. Right s "Wt.shfM deny to no man Justice or Right; sMi'.dgfer long man Justice or Right."

As we progress, the subject of Petroleum, in connection with the local Companies, gathersnew interest. Since writing on this subject on Wednesday last, we observe that a private meeting of local shareholders in the South Pacific Company will be held on Wednesday evening next; and as the business will be confined to the consideration of shareholders alone, we dare say the present position of affairs will be fully and freely discussed. From what has transpired since our last—and especially after the .Herald's lame apology for, or explanation of, the cessation of work at the Springs, and the presence of the workmen in the town —we are the more convinced of the necessity of a strict and searching investigation. Besides, it is well known that Mr. Fleming, the Chairman of Directors has been specially and hurriedly summoned to come over at once, in order to personally test the accuracy of the reports that have been circulated to the great discredit of all concerned, and to the detriment of the Company’s property. No doubt there were two great blunders committed at the outset. These were, first, the Board of Directors sitting so far away from the seat of operations ; and, second, the appointment of a gentleman, as a Manager, of whose practical knowledge there seems to be some doubt; and who has estranged himself from local interests. However, enough has been said on that subject. What we desire to do now' is to express a hope that, in view of Mr. Fleming’s arrival, such definite action will be taken, as to leave no doubt on his mind that there is something crooked, and that that something must be made straight-. Possibly, one of the best methods of accomplishing this is to act on the suggestion of the Christchurch Telegraph, which recently had a sensible and friendly article on the subject of the repeated failures of oil boring in the North Island. Our contemporary’s suggestion is that “ the authorities ” —meaning, we suppose, the Government —should secure the services of Mr. J. T. Henry, who, according to the Telegraph, is the author of “ one “ of the most comprehensive works on “ the subject of petroleum, being the “ early and later history of the oil with “ authentic facts in regard to its de- “ velopment in Western Pennsyl- “ vania,” and resident in Christchurch. It is not surprising to find our contemporary supplementing his earnestness with a great desire for success, not only of the Poverty Bay Springs, but of the production of petroleum generally, in New Zealand. He says, in writing of the South Pacific Company: —“Unfortunately through some “ unaccountable circumstances the in- “ dustry appears to hang fire, and this “ source of wealth to thousands of our “ fellow beings is left to stagnate. “We have already informed our read- “ ers that we have been supplied with “ a sample of the crude article; and “ an authority has stated that it is “ quite equal to the very best amber oil ever obtained in America. It “ appeals to be a moot point whether “ the article exists in quantity, but “ the question should be set at rest, “ and the importance of the business “ has constrained us to give it the pre- “ sent prominence. We have only to “ imagine the entire stoppage of the “ importation of kerosene, and its ex- “ portation beyond home consumption “ to other parts of the world, to grasp “ the magnitude of this surely possible “undertaking. That it exists in “ quantity ought to be thoroughly substantiated; and how it comes to pass “ that these vast mines of wealth have “ not been opened out long, ago is a “ thorough mystery, the solution of ‘‘ which lies in the future.”

Mr. Henry, the Telegraph states, says in the preface of hiabopk that he is indebted in its compilation, te Mr. Richard Linn, who, in November last inspected the above-alluded to sample, the result of which was wired to the Standard by the Editor of the Telegraph as follows

Mr. Linn, who has recently arrived from America, has seen a sample of Gisborne petroleum, and says it is exactly the same oil as from the Lower Oil Field in the Pennsylvanian Region District known as Modus and Millerstown, yielding 1400 barrels (each 42 gallons) daily. He has left us a sample of American oil to compare with yours. Communications to Mr. Linn may be made through our office. He has been in the business fur years.

Now, with the presence of two men of experience, such as these, in the Colony, it becomes a question of the first importance whether it would not be wise to enlist their services on this coast. We seem to be suffering from two kinds of chronic difficulty; first, geological; second, engineering. No one connected with our local efforts seem to be sufficiently acquainted with the first as to scientifically work out the problem of the Springs’ whereabouts ; and, so far, the professional experience of those to whom the work of development has been entrusted, has not sufficed to successfully overcome the second. It appears to have been somewhat of a foregone conclusion that, where crude petroleum oil is found on the surface, there is the place to sink a well. And then to the geological uncertainty is added that of engineering incapacity. If either of the above-named gentlemen are experts, they would be able to supply our great want, and the chiefest, namely, whether we are going to work in a proper manner, and if, geologically speaking, we are working in the proper place. That seems to be the prime difficulty. All the primary indications set forth in Mr. Henry’s work, are to be found in both the Companies’ blocks in Poverty Bay ; but what is required is a man possessing sufficient knowledge of the subject as to be tolerably able to gauge the difference of the result of sinking wells in different slaces. We commend the following concluding remarks of the Telegraph to the full consideration of our readers :—“ The character of the country (likely to be oil-bearing) is said to be a silicious sandstone, with shale, and in some places limestone is the immediate basis. The sandstone and shale lie in nearly horizontal strata, the former being usually of a light gray color, and the shale abounds in reliquoe characteristic of the secondary formation. The fountain rises in the midst of a marshy ground, and it consists of a muddy and dirty pool of about eighteen feet in diameter, and is nearly circular in form. There is no outlet above ground, no stream flowing from it. It is simply a stagnant water, with no other circulation than that which springs from the changes of temperature, and from the gas and petroleum that are constantly rising on the surface of the pool. The water is covered with a thin lair of petroleum, giving it a foul appearance as if coated with dirty molasses, having a yellowish brown color. These characteristics are identical with those of the sample now in our possession ; and with such data upon which to proceed, and with full particulars as contained in this work of Mr. Henry, it is surely not too much to expect that a gentleman of the calibre and experience of Mr. Richard Linn shoßld be enabled to tap this source of wealth at no distant period. The work contains a brief notice of the oil-bearing districts ofthe North Island of New Zealand, and records the results as then accomplished. We are there informed that in the vicinity of Taranaki there is an exhalation of gas, and that bubbles of bituminous matter have been observed since the ■ earliest days of the settlement at about half-a-mile from high water mark, between the main island and Moturoa, the highest of the Sugar Loaf Islands; and according to Dieffenbach was whimsically attributed by the Maoris to the decomposition of i an atua or spirit who was drowned J there. Two Companies were formed ■

I !to to«t;'th&. oil lands of the North Island. The Taranaki Company drilled Itwo wells, and the Alpha Oil Company one well. With reference to the third bore of the latter Dr. Hector said that when allowed to stand at rest, a considerable quantity of the oil collected on the surface of the water accompanied by an escape of gas. The oil was pumped into a tub along with .the water, and the yield was then two barrels a week. Most of our readers are aware of the unsuccessful attempts that have been made to establish this important industry, unsuccessful, we believe, solely from want of experience ; and as it is a national question, we recommend the Government to secure the valuable services of Mr. Richard Linn at the very earliest opportunity.