Errant oil firm ‘got a fright’

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33435, 17 January 1974, Page 16

Errant oil firm ‘got a fright’

(New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, January 16. The oil company that had deliberately misled farmers about Government restrictions on farmers’ fuel supplies had “got the message,” the Minister of Transport (Sir Basil Arthur) said tonight.

He made this comment after alleging on Tuesday that an oil company had deliberately been giving mischievous and irresponsible information to farmers.

He said he had checked on Tuesday night with two farmers who had complained to him about the oil company, and had found that both had had their tanks filled during the day. “I am satisfied the message got through: the company got such a fright it was making sure it was not going to be named by me.” Sir Basil Arthur threatened on Tuesday to name the company concerned if it persisted with giving the misleading information. “But if I get one more complaint about the firm, 1 will name it,” he said. “OPEN INFORMATION” To the comments of an oil industry spokesman in Wellington, who said it was difficult to understand how the Minister could single out one company as misleading farmers. Sir Basil Arthur said it was easy "when farmers tell me the name of the com-

pany concerned quite openly.” The spokesman had said that all companies were acting under the directive of the Ministry of Energy Resources.

Sir Basil Arthur said in that case one ’company was not carrying out instructions as it should have, or had not interpreted the instructions correctly.