Believed Killed

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 196, 19 August 1940, Page 4

Believed Killed

"It is not unpatriotic that men whose business is steadily being ruined should not proceed to consider if petrol rationing is achieving its object, and if the immense sacrifices entailed are justified," says the association.

It continues: "Their doubts on this matter are increased when they know that New Zealand is the only one of the British Dominions which so far has enforced the rationing of petrol, and they aek, not unnaturally, why thie ehould be so.

"The reason given by the Minister when petrol restrictions were introduced wae the necessity to conserve and build up stocks of petrol in the Dominion in case of national emergency, and this reason was generally considered sufficient. After the experience of petrol restrictions for 12 months, it is not unreasonable to ask if the Minister's objective has been achieved, and it muet be admitted that i{ has not, and the reason is not difficult to find.

"A reduction in the consumption if petrol will not improve the etock position unless the volume of imports ie sufficient for the purpose. The imports of motor spirits for the year 1939 were a little in excess of those for 1938, the official figures being 103,732,081 galloir in 1939 and 102,288,880 gallons in 1935. "For the five months ended May 31, 1940, the total imports of motor spirits were 33,815,658 gallons, compared with 50,991,178 in the same period of 1939— a decrease of approximately 33 1-3 per cent.

"It is not surprising, therefore, that the stock position in June was not satisfactory, and in an endeavour to improve it the restrictions were tightened up, and a further cut of 33 1-3 per cent was made.

"The stocks of petrol with some small exceptions are held by the importing companies and the resellers at their own risk and expense, and solely as a -business proposition. The etocks will be kept large enough to provide for the sales that are expected and from a business view, larger stocks are unnecessary. "The world is still producing moire petrol than is being used under war conditions; transport to New Zealand is not a serious difficulty, and if England understood the need of petrol in New Zealand to enable us to give the most effective assistance to win the war, and the comparatively small quantity required, for the New Zealand market, we feel confident that petrol rationing would not be asked of us." j