THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1912. AN IMPORTANT EVENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 28 November 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1912. AN IMPORTANT EVENT.

To-day marks an epoch in the J.istory of the Forty-Mile Bush; indeed, in the history of the whole of the Wairarapa district-. The commencing of oilboring operations in the Mangaone Valley, with a lively prospect for the development of a payable oil-field, is an event that is of very considerable importance. For some years operations liave been in progress in the Taranaki district, with What result is best known to those wlio have invested their capital in tho enterprise. That a vast oil-belt extends 'along tho West Coast, branching off to the east in the lower portion of tho Wellington Province, is tolerably certain. With the employment of foreign capital, there is little doubt that the Taranaki fields .Will beer

I of considerable importance in tho near future. Experts who have visited tho East Coast aro pronounced in tho opinion that the indications are as good (if not better) on this side ■ of the range as on the other. MiHenry, tho representative of an English syndicate, who visited the Dominion a year or two back, has issued j a book in which ho waxes enthusiastic over the prospects of the North Island in tho matter of oil. Although! in tho meantime British capital is devoted to Ta.rana.ki, it is certain that- if the fields in that part prove as sucoessful ias anticipated, an abundance of capital will be found for tho development of other fields in the Island. The demand for petroleum Epr naval, shipping and other purposes is becoming. so great that the oil industry of immense importance. Tho that are being commenced in the Mangaone Valley to-day, under tihe auspices of a private company, will I>9 watched with absorbing interest. ' Experts who have visited the locality <are of the opinion that the indications of the existence Jn tkaf of a. parable oil-field

aro highly favourable. There is, of eour.se, ;ui element of uncertainty in regard io all petroleum fields; but i: 11c* promoters of tin* Mangaone Oilwells havo .secured the. services of oxivrieneed men, and ! bey havo the additional advantage of up-to-date raa-

ehinery. It is anticipated that, in the course of a few months, boring operations will ha\e proceeded to siii'li an extent as to place tho possibilities iii' the lie-Id beyond doubt. Ji the operations should prove successfill, as everyone sincerely hopes they will, a distinct boon will have been conferred upon tho whole of tho Wairarapa district, and .particularly upon Kketahuna and Mastert/on. There arc fields to tho east of Ma-sterton which will, at a later period, be exploited. Tho.so concerned, however, are wisely awaiting the results of tho trials that, aro being made in other parts. ,Tho operations at Manga one have, therefore, a very real into rest for the wholo of the Wairarapa. Should theprove successful, an early effort will doubtless be mado to test tho wells that aro known to exist in various l*irt-s of tho East Oast. Meanwhile we join with our friends in the Bush in repressing the hope that the ope rations of the Mnngaone Oil wells will be attended with unqualified success.