TARANAKI OILFIELDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1915, Page 7

TARANAKI OILFIELDS.

QI'KSTHIXS |-,V Ml;. OK ICY. (Special to Daily News) Wi'l]illHt<hi. Tuesday. | .ili'. ii!;ey (Tanuuiki) is asking the .Minister of .Mines (1) Whether his attention has ln'ci! drawn to a misleading statement that was made by Sir Marcus Samuel, Chairman of the Shell Tram - port, Company, as far as the production of oil in the Dominion is concerned, his statement being to the ell'cct that the desire to develop the production oi' petroleum in the Knipire had not met v.-itli conspicuous success, and they had abandoned the hope of obtaining petroleum from New Zealand; (2) In order th tithe Iloine authorities may not he milled by the statement made, will be in. struct tin? High Commissioner to explain to the Home authorities that any funds spent by the Shell Company in prospecting for oi! had been in a district where there were little or no indications of the existence of oil, and that iu Tanuuiki district one company had won over a million gallons of crude petroleum, the test of which .shows it to be a, quality equal to any ill the world, and that the New Zealand (Joveminent, showing their faith in the industry at, the present time, was advancing funds to at least two companies in the Taranaki district to put down bores to fif.oo feet, so as to test the lower oil strata*. These remarks being sent broadcast at the present by a company whose holdings are 00 per cent, foreign, and the chairman a Herman Jew, appear to be made with some ulterior motive, and as the development of a successful oilfield is of such a national consequence a full explanation should he made of the statements' made by the chairman of the Shell Company by those in the highest authority.