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Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3510, 29 April 1912, Page 6

Among the present residents or Auckland is an elderly man who came out to Australia in the clipper barque so well known in those early days, the Ben Nevis. There will be still a good many who will remember the skipper of the Ben Nevis, Captain McPetrie, as both he and the barque were very popular among the voyagers to Australia in those far back days. It was Captain McPetrie who, in the Ben Voirlich. of the same lino, in the year 1875, established a record of 62 days lor a sailing ship between England and Australia. The resident of Auckland who came to Australia by the Ben Nevis, states that he has just learned that the famous old clipper lias been abandoned at sea, dismasted, the crew being rescued .by a passing steamer. The Ben Nevis was sold in 1898 to a Norwegian firm, when her name was changed to tlio Astoria. The Hon. H. G. Ell, when on his recent visit to Napier, was discussing with Mr. W. C. Davis the question of “posting” live chickens. Mr. Davis told the Minister that ho had sent on three thousand chickens last year, and they travelled so safely in cardhoard boxes, that he had only had 30 deathsA new oil company, to be known as the British Empire Petroleum Company of New Zealand, is being formed. Its object is to work a property at New Plymouth which is bounded on three skles'by the Taranaki Oil Wells, Ltd,, and on the fourth side by the Standard Oil Company of N.Z. The capital of tire company is .-£125,000, divided into 500,000 shares of 5s each. The directors are Sir James Carroll, Hon. J. A- Millar, M.P., and Mr. M. F. Bourko. An interesting suggestion for the conservation of the timber resources of New Zealand was put forward by the president of the Taumnrunui Chamber.of Commerce (Mr. N. A. Winter) at the Industrial Association dinner in Auckland a few days ago. A great mistake- was made, lie said, in allowing settlers to strip the forest of the hush and burn it. After all, the bush was the most valuable crop that much of this land was likely to produce. The Wellington Land Board "had quite v recently imposed a condition preventing their bush being burnt until timber was first- utilised. This system was being made to work quite satisfactorily by the combination of groups of settlors .to instal milling plants, and Mr. Winter thought that the lead might he generally followed by other Land Boards with benefit to the country.