MORE PETROL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 147, 23 June 1945, Page 6

MORE PETROL

COUPONS FOR JULY

USE AT FULL FACE VALUE

P.A. WELLINGTON, this day. The War Cabinet has decided to make petrol coupon No. 1 available to private motorists for the month of July at its face value. Announcing this to-day, the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, said he felt he should give some idea of the Government's policy m regard to the petrol position generally. On the termination of the war in Europe representations were made to the authorities in London and 'Washington for an inerease in the allocation of petrol made to New Zealand. It was felt that the restrictions should be lifted as far as was practicable in order that some relief could be given to the motoring public in the Dominion. Unfortunately it was not possible at present to make a general statement on the position, but he hoped to be able to do so in the course of a week or two. The Minister said that in a desire to afford some relief to private motorists, who had been severely rationed over the past few years, it was felt that the July allowance should, in any case, be maintained at the equivalent of the May and June level. This allowance would relieve New Zealand's already heavily overtaxed passenger transport services, and would assist the general public in their transport arrangements during July. The Minister emphasised that the tyre position was still serious, with no prospect of immediate improvement, so that the utmost conservation of tyres (as well as petrol) was still necessary.

Until Victory in Europe petrol coupons were worth only half their face value. When VE Day came It was announced that the June coupons would have tneir full face value, plus 50 per cent, the effect of this being that the May and June coupons were given their full value.