Petrol Saving Campaign

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25304, 2 October 1947, Page 6

Petrol Saving Campaign

The report of the petrol saving committee of the Aid to Britain Council that “ ground was lost last “week”, though there was seme slight saving in the previous week, underlines the recent warning of the council’s chairman, Mr F. P. that compulsory rationing will have to be considered if th? voluntary system is not successful by the end of this month and the warning of the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Nordmeyer, that private motorists, under compulsory rationing, might have to carry the whole burden. The committee, according to its chairman, is unanimous that 10 per cent, of the previous allocar tion can be voluntarily saved. And, of course, as earlier figures have suggested, it can be. In three weeks the amount of petrol bought fell from 3,112,000 gallons to 2,047,352, close to the 1,900,000 gallons which the Minister has set as the “desir- “ able ’’ weekly consumption figure. But if that early decline has not been contmqed in the three weeks that have passed since, the committee should look for the reason in two directions, first in its own. Either it has not given motorists enough facts and figures to show them clearly or help them to remember why, and how much, petrol must be saved and how much* they are saving (and its recently published statements have given no figures); or there are many motorists who, knowing the facts and remaining unconvinced that the Government will be prepared to use compulsion, take advantage of the sacrifice of others under the voluntary rationing. If the first reason is the correct one, the district savings scheme which the committee now proposes to establish may go some distance, if not, all the way, to meet it. If the second, the Government will have no option but to set a date beyond whieh it will refuse to continue unsuccessful voluntary rationing.