PETROL RATIONING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 251, 5 August 1941, Page 5

PETROL RATIONING.

NEW STEP IN AUSTRALIA. PRIVATE SUPPLIES “FROZEN.” (Rec. 1.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, Alig. 4. The cutting down of petrol supplies to the hare bone has practically paralysed the motor industry and delivery services throughout Australia. The Commonwealth Government to-day adopted an extreme course to got complete control of petrol stocks remaining in the country by issuing an order freezing all supplies hold by private persons as from to-night. Everybody other than oil companies and retailers holding stocks in excess of 12 gallons is required to make a return to the Fuel Board within the present month. The Minister for Supply (Senator G. McLoay) emphasised that this action amounted to a marshalling of data which would he available in readily useable form in case of necessity. A. report from Brisbane on the subject of petrol hoarding says that hidden under a fake haystack in New South Wales is a private petfol hoard of 16,000 gallons in 400-gallon drums. This is only one of a series of reserve stocks secreted throughout the Commonwealth since the enforcement of rationing. Conservative official estimates place the total of private reserves at 15,000,000 gallons.