Passing Comments
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Australia's Search for Oil
I T has been said that in recent years more money has
been lavished in Australia in the search for oil than was gambled on the early successive gold rushes. It seems that no big deposits havb yet been found, but it is thought that there are good prospects of lucky strikes in almost every state.
The Australians are also drilling at a number of places in Papua, along the coast for about 250 mites west of Port Moresby. Millions are being spent in oil prospecting along a belt of hinterland averaging about 100 miles wide above the west and north-west coast of the state of Western Australia.
As long ago as the time of the Boer War, in an effort to find water, natural gas was tapped and for a time a lone town was lit by it, but the supply quickly failed, although more petroleum gas has been struck in the same region. Oil in small commercial quantities has been won from the likes Entrance bore in south-east Victoria. Here it is possible to
A22 descend a well in a lift to a depth of 1,200 ft., into a subterranean hall from which horizontal bores are drilled.
In New South Wales a certain amount of refined motor spirit is obtained from shale mined in the Blue Mountains. It meets 1 per cent. of the needs.
The Biters Bit .
A HUMOROUS situation occurred recently in r".Calgary, Alberta, when a new law was issued forbidding pedestrians to cross streets except at authorized points at the intersections. The police officers were instructed to present "tickets to offenders. Each of these had to be redeemed at a police station within three days by paying 50 cents to avoid prosecution. It was quickly discovered, however, that the erring walkers could not be pursued because in doing so, the police officers would thernselves be breaking the law. The authorities are now asking for speci'al exemption for •them.