Price Of Motor Oil Increased

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32395, 7 September 1970, Page 14

Price Of Motor Oil Increased

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, September 6.

Motor oils have been increased in price by the majority of service stations between Wellsford and Mercer in the last fortnight.

The increase is from 2c to 3c a pint for standard oil, and more for lother grades. Kerosene has risen by up to 4c a gallon in some cases.

give a unifying guide on prices.” The association last made a recommendation about two years ago.

The president of the Auckland branch (Mr C. J. Cliff) was unwilling to comment tonight on the reasons for the price rise. It was not known whether others of the 36 branches of the association throughout New Zealand would recommend similar rises, an executive director of the association, Mr C. F. Stone, said from Wellington tonight. It was up to the individual i branches.

At least part of the reason for the increases is said to be Government reticence to raise the price of petrol. Unlike petrol, motor oils and kerosene are not subject to price control.

Service station proprietors say that because of the forced stability of petrol prices and rising costs they have been forced to seek higher returns from other sources. The increases were recommended by the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Motor Retail Trade Association last month.

A spokesman for the branch, Mr C. A. Morton, said tonight that he expected most retailers would raise their prices.

But it was a decision for the service stations to make in their individual cases, he said.

“We recommend a base price after considering rising costs in running the service stations,” he said. “We try to