HIGHER PRICE FOR PETROL

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26117, 20 May 1950, Page 2

HIGHER PRICE FOR PETROL

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL OF N.I.M.U. (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 19. The recent increase in the price of petrol by 2d a gallon evoked little discussion at to-day’s meeting Of the council of the North Island Motor Union. The union was urged not to press strongly for a reduction in the tax at the moment while taxation was being spent on roads. The president (Mr W. H. Brown) raised the subject by saying that he had refrained from making any statement on the subject on behalf of the union when the ri.se was announced because of the imminence of the meeting. The increase meant that consumers in New Zealand would pay considerably more than £1.000.000 a year for their petrol. They had been given information as to why the 2d had come on to the price of petrol, but he wondered whether members of the union considered they had been given sufficient information. It was a big increase, said Mr Brown, and he had noticed that one motorist had suggested that the occasion of that increase was a suitable occasion for removing the 8d tax, 4d of which had been imposed during the depression, and 4d for war purposes. He asked whether the council should take action. The president said that in discussions with the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) he and other representatives of the union had suggested that the Prime Minister should not lose sight of the possibility of decreasing the tax. The meeting decided to confirm in writing the verbal request which the president had made to the Prime Minister.