Petrol Coupons For Holidays

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15135, 18 November 1949, Page 3

Petrol Coupons For Holidays

Extension Of Period

Sought

Recommendations Of Motor Union

(P.A.) Wellington, Nov. 17. The North Island Motor Union will ask the Government to make November petrol coupons available in December and January, and December coupons available in January and February. In the interests of country people who cannot get away lor holidays in January and February, it will also ask that holiday coupons at double face value be available in one or two winter months.

Objection to assisting petrol resellers in their efforts to secure a change in the availability of coupons over uie holiday period, unless resellers were prepared to co-opei-ate with motorists by opening their pumps on Saturday mornings—as is now permitted—was expressed before the decision was reached by the council of the union at a meeting today. Mr Harris; for the Petrol Resellers' Association, said the danger of motorists accumulating petrol in unsatisfactory containers could be obviated if the November and December coupons were available in January and February. The limited availability of coupons over the holiday period last year resulted in one motorist leaving on a trip with the last spare gallon in his wife's mixing bowl. Replying to Mr J. E. Peach (Napier), Mr Harris said the request was from the Wellington Branch of the Petrol Resellers' Association, but resellers throughout the country felt the same about the problem. Mr Peach said resellers were not as worried about tins or coupons as about "hours of service.

"Not in any circumstances have we been told why there should be a rise in the price of petrol," said the president, Mr W. H. Brown. "We must have an adequate reason before we agree to the need for a rise in price. Until we have a concrete reason we must oppose it." It appeared by published reports that there were thousands of gallons of petrol produced at New Plymouth lving in store because of difficulty in distributing and disposing of it, said Mr F. G. Farrell (Auckland), Mr J. Christoffer (New Plymouth) said it was expected the difficulties would be overcome in the next few weeks.

A deputation from the council of the unions is to wait on the Minister of Industries and Commerce asking that the importation of some tyres' be permitted "in order to regulate price and quality" in competition with New Zealand-made tyres.