PETROL SUPPLIES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24614, 10 July 1945, Page 4

PETROL SUPPLIES

♦ “ INTERIM ANSWERS ENCOURAGING ” GOVERNMENT’S REQUEST FOR BRITISH BASIC RATION An “encouraging and hopeful" interim answer to requests by the New Zealand Government for more petrol was announced by the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in reply to an Inquiry about petrol rations from a correspondent to ‘‘The Press” yesterday. , . ■ The correspondent, “Motor-car. .stated in his letter: — “Motorists are told that they will get full face value of petrol for July but nothing is said about the following months. Is that a sop to induce them to register their cars this month and then to find that when next month comes the excuse will be that petrol is so scarce that it will be necessary to cut down to half face value again. A straightout answer, yes or no, would oblige.” “The position has been previously explained,” said the Minister, in reply. ‘‘New Zealand has asked the oversea authorities for the same ration as the amount supplied to British and American users. We have had some interim answers, but not a final answer. The interim answers are encouraging and hopeful. When we have the final decision from Britain and America the public will be told.” MANY MORE VEHICLES RELICENSED INCREASE ATTRIBUTED TO PETROL PROSPECTS Apparently expecting an increased petrol supply, many more motorists have registered their private cars this year. Figures .for the Christchurch city area show -that from June 1 to July 7 (since when registration work has been retransferred from the Old Provincial Chambers to the main Post Office in Cathedral square), 19,366 were relicensed, compared with 17.014 for the period in 1944, and 15,085 in 1943. The greater part of the increase of more than 4000 for the period compared with similar weeks in 1943 represents private car registrations, and apparently indicates that the prospect of a higher coupon value has influenced a number of motorists, who previously waited for the summer months, to register their vehicles early.