RURAL PETROL NEEDS

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25445, 17 March 1948, Page 6

RURAL PETROL NEEDS

JtATIONING SYSTEM CRITICISED OTAGO FARMERS’ VIEWS (P.A.) DUNEDIN, March 16. Federated' Farmers will be asked to bring pressure to bear to have control of petrol rationing decentralised and placed in the hands of tent district committees, similar to those which operated during the war. This decision was made at a meeting of the Otago sub-executive of Federated Farmers in Dunedin to-day. It was also decided that the chairman of the National Aid for Britain Council (Mr F. P. Walsh) be informed immediately that’ the Otago province is experiencing difficulty with petrol supplies for primary production, those particularly affected being transport operators. Mr C. E. Forsyth, Kelso, said that Mr Walsh, during his recent visit to urge the growing of more wheat, had assured farmers of an ample supply of petrol. He had said there would be no occasion for them ’to worry if any difficulties occurred. He had said farmers were to approach the chairman of the Dunedin committee (Mr Burgess). Unfortunately, serious difficulties had arisen,,, but Mr Burgess was out, of town and there was no one to act for him. Transport operators could obtain no additional supply when their small allocation was used.

“Wheat Lying in Paddocks” Mr Forsyth saia rnat in his own district between 4000 sfnd 5000 sacks of wheat were lying in paddocks because transport operators had no petrol with which to take the grain away. ' “The position is most unsettling," Mr Forsyth said. “Carriers do not know whether to make their petrol £pin out for the month and refuse work or whether to do all the work possible until their supply is Exhausted and then attempt to obtain more. The farmer cannot plan ahead. He is busy heading wheat and finds that carriers cannot take it. We all know the damage that rain would cause to wheat lying in the paddocks.’’ Mr J. S. Mosley, of Stirling, said that there must be hundreds of thousands of applications for extra petrol going to Wellington for consideration y officials who know nothing of the circumstances of the applicants. It was absolute foolishness for the Government to conduct petrol rationing on the present lines. “Bureaucratic control" in Dunedin and a general unsympathetic attitude towards l farmers were alleged by Mr J. E. D. Roberts, of Middlemarcn.' He said requests for additional petrol for busy periods of production on the land had met with a firm refusal. Mr Roberts said heavy allocations* of petrol were made for luxury travel. Members said no consideration was being given by petrol rationing authorities to peak production periods on farms. It was mentioned that Otago was the only province in which the acreage of wheat bad been increased.

It was agreed that an immediate approach should be made to Federated Farmers and to Mr Walsh in an endeavour to obtain a solution to the present problems confronting farmers.