The Daily News. TUESDAY, JANUARY 14. OUR MINERAL WEALTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 315, 14 January 1908, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, JANUARY 14. OUR MINERAL WEALTH.

Dr. Bell, the Government Geologist, is back in New Zealand after a tour of the world. During his trip abroad Dr. Bell rendered considerable service to New Zealand by making known to scientific men and others interested the mineral possibilities of our country, having delivered a large number of lectures on New Zealand in the course of his tour. One of the most interesting of these wis delivered at the Hotel Metropole, London, on November 20th, a report of which has been supplied by the London correspondent of the Wellington Post. The Government geologist pointed out that perhaps in no country in the world is coal more generally distributed than it iis in New Zealand, as it occurs in almost every part of the Dominion—a fact which makes up for the narrowness of the coal scams and the unextension of the basins in which they lie, as com-

pared with coal deposits in other countries. The doctor's remarks on the subject of petroleum arc of especial interest to the people of Taranaki.

• In many parts of the Dominion," he <aid, "there is abundant evidence of petroleum, though in no locality can it lie -aid to have been proven to exist in •jreat quantity. It has been found and exploited to some slight degree at Ko•ukit. near Greyniouth, in Westland: near Gishornc, ill the Auckland district; and at New Plymouth, in Taranaki. not far from the base of the lofty cone nf Mount Egmont. In the last-named locality the oil seeps out of the surface along the seashore, and at a few places in the interior, and gas issues at many points along natural crevices. Boring operations have been conducted in this locality for a number of years, and very recently have apparently met with siieees*. An oil-bearing stratum has been struck at a depth of 2400 ft., which at present is said by the proprietors to give a steady How under high pressure.. The oil-bearing stratum consists of a loosely eonsolidated marine sand, underlying hard argillaceous sandstone, above which marine sands and clays, more or less hardened, extend to the surface. As far as iri known all the beds are disposed in almost horizontal attitude, the lowe-t being probably of Miocene age, the npp?r apparently of Pliocene." The doctor supplemented this guarded reference with the following statement: "In the Gisborne district apparently the petroleum is even more widespread, and the prospects equally bright for the discovery of large wells. However, comparatively little exploration has been done within recent years in this locality."

A lengthy reference was then made 'o the various deposits of ironsand in Xew Zealand, particularly to the hematite at Parapara and the ironsand at Xew Plymouth. Dr. Bell devoted a good deal of attention to the Xew Zealand gold mines. He also stated what was known as to the existence of silver, copper, platinum, and tin in Xew Zealand, remarking, in conclusion, that ''ores of antimony, lead, zinc, mercury, and several other metals have been discovered in Xew Zealand, but scarcely in sufficient quantity to deserve special mention. Much of the wild mountainous country of the South Island and of the thickly wooded central and northern parts of the Xorth Island are still unexplored, and vast mineral wealth may yet lie discovered in these ureas of terra Incognita." In the course of the discussion that followed, Mr. .1. 11. Witheiord had much that was interesting to tell regarding the iron industry, which he has for some time past been endeavouring to get British capitalists to take up. He stated that l)r. Bell had a staff of sixteen men at work at Parapara, anl had made a most careful analysis of that wonderful deposit, aliout a quarter of a mile wide, several miles long, and carrying over 51 per cent, of metallic iron. The one thing required was to erect blast furnaces and iron and steel works; this would mean such an impetus for Xew Zealand that very few people could realise. Pittsburg, Middlesboro'. and such places, with their rapid advances and increased population and wealth, showed what it meant—they owed their start to iron and steel development. The lecturer had said that he expected to hear that iron and steel works would shortly lie started in Xew Zealand. The late Mr Louis Spitzel, over a year ago, had been ready to find a quarter of a million for the iron project. The Hon. Walter Johnston, of Xew Zealand, joined in raising another tIOO.IHW in Xew Zealand; he, how-

ever, had since died. These dillieulti.'s had checked things, but the cloud was only temporary. Several other speakers predicted that the opening of the iron works at Parapara would give an im-

mense stimulus to Xew Zealand prosperity, and regarding other mineral prospects. I/ml Ranfurly, who presided,

in closing a most interesting discussion, pointed out that the surface of Xew Zealand had hardly been scratched.