Oil crisis reports

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33382, 14 November 1973, Page 17

Oil crisis reports

Early to bed? The Italian Government is considering trying to persuade people to go to bed early to save fuel, and cinemas and television programmes may close at 10 p.m. as another way of countering the Arab oil cutback. Experts estimate that two million tons of oil could be saved each year by heating homes and premises three hours less every day. Among other measures being studied by the Government are a motorway speed limit of 60 miles an hour, closing petrol stations at week-ends, and reducing street lighting. — Rome, November 13. British study Britain has decided to make a fresh study of nuclear propulsion for large merchant! ships because of the oil situ-: ation, it was announced in Parliament last night.—London. November 13. Nixon’s journeys A New York Democratic Congressman has asked for an investigation to determine the amount of fuel used by President Nixon on journeys to his homes in Key Biscayne, Florida, and San Clemente, California. Mr Charles Rangel has asked the General Accounting Office, the investigating agency of Congress, to make the investigation. “Since President Nixon has urged the American people to cut back on their use of gasoline and other fuels, it is only fair that they should know how much he uses,” Mr Rangel said. “The Presidential fleet of jetliners, helicopters, limousines, and yachts, is entirely too wasteful of our precious fuel resources.” — Washington, November 13. Qantas measure The Australian airline, Qhntas. will end its Boeing 707 flights to North America at Honolulu from next Tuesday, because of the United States fuel crisis. Arrangements are being made with a United States domestic airline to fly Qantas passengers on to San Francisco. Qantas’s jumbo-jet flights across the Pacific will not be altered. British Airways has announced that it will cancel eight of its 20 flights over the next four weeks. American operators on the Pacific route. Pan American and American Airlines, say that they have no immediate plans to cut services, and flights by Air New Zealand, U.T.A. and C.P.-Air are also continuing normally. — Melbourne, November 14. Concern in Japan Japan’s economic growth rate, the fastest among advanced industrial nations during the last decade, will decline seriously if the Arab States continue to reduce their oil production, as planned. Some Ministry of Trade officials in Tokyo say privately that the growth rate in real terms during the next fiscal year may dwindle towards zero for the first time '-ince the end of the Second World War—Tokyo, Nov. 13.