PETROLEUM NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 394, 20 May 1910, Page 2

PETROLEUM NEWS

AN ENQUIRY FROM ENGLAND. SOME ANCIENT HISTORY. At the Harbor Board meeting yesterday the following letter was received from Mr. Robert R. Ogilvie, of Wimbledon, Surrey, England:— "It is just twenty years since I became associated with business concerning the welfare and interest of your port. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G., "who vas then resident here, had me lease to deal with, granted by your Board, for a strip of Land for oil-well borning, etc. On his introduction to me, through the late Mr. Ohas. Marvin, an authority on oil matters, I undertook to get' toigeuiier the money required for purchase o. lease, boring plant and muchiiierv, wages, etc. This I did, but owing to boaru differences here as to furnts'inng | necessary funds, when calls were made and other matters of which you are no doubt aware, the property was lost with a considerable amount of my own money. By the dilatory action of the Board (and aribtrary, also, I might say) I could not do anything personally—although prepared to—to coiu.nue the work of building up the industry. ''The object of my letter is to ask your Board to grant me direct, or through some confidential person in your midst, a similar lease, and on the same liberal terms, for the further exploitation of prooaMe oil-bearing ground and complete development, including refineries. I have friends here who have recently applied to get some concession in British colonial territory. I have previously had tmem in Cape of Good Hone and Upper Burmah, and disposed of j them satisfactorily. The gentleman who will be immediately interested in unding the capital is about founding a private company now, under limited jomt stock conditions, to take over and work similar concessions and for leases I am asking for. If your Board grants m- request 'without loss of time, and whilst I have the people ready with the money required, I beg that you will hasten to acquaint me by wire or letter in oruer that I may insure retention of their interest until in a position to proceed fully. The equipment, I am assured. I can have ready for shipment quickly." The chairman said it was "ratoer rich" to expect members of the Board to remember dealings of twenty or thirty years ago. It was ..ecided to inform Mr. Ggilvie •that the Boar., cannot accede to the request.