SHORTAGE OF PETROL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 10

SHORTAGE OF PETROL.

TROUBLES OF MOTORISTS. ■THE position'.bxplained/' (py TEijEGßAnr—ritEsa association.) / , CJifistchurch,: March 30. ' ■Motorists in Christchurch, and 'probably the Dominion generally. Have a serious cause for complaint in the severe shortage r.f vetrol at present existing. Several' owners of cars, in Christchurch who do no.t keep-aj-lentiful supply of spirit-"';on h'ancl,i;have ; found/the shortage very inconvenient,and at. least-.one: man who drovo in'from . a country station (luring the /'past week would have been 1 stuck up except for the assistance of friends. / .'A' dealer in the city told. a " Star "( Iroporter' this morning that his. firm could not get anjr petrol at all at present, and sonje lljfitorists whisper to .one, another. offers of ; a' pound a case. ' The explanation of the position given by a . dealer ,is that the market in New Zealand is : at , present absolutely controlled by-the. 'Rockefeller ;'' Trust, the " Standard .Oil " Companyr ' :The Trust,he' said, ' has, been' limiting: the: supply to the, Dominion in order to keep up the prico, and'the demand has outrun:: the supply. The. Trust, • having' an absolute monopoly of the market at present, can do-what it likes in that! way. /\ \ : .'t r " Oil is being handled like diamonds," he said. If (all the diamonds were put' on 'thp\ market to-day they'd'.be worth : about sixpence each., It -is only by doling them'out: that: the price can be held up, and,it's! the same ' with petrol." . .V;' • . 'At present, the reporter was told, there; is little to threaten the suprcmacyl of the Trust in the New Zealand market. 'The immediate necessity/ would, • however';, ..be - re: .lieved at any timo' : now, shipments wero on the water'. '■ Most'-'cprs ablo- to •get along well enough on: benzine.-' Arrangements are on foot, it' is understood, for a Combination to compote with the/Rockefeller Trust in the - motor spirit market. * The. Baker, 'Siberian, . Sumatra, and 1 Bornea oils: aroj available, and a largo British, oil firm is negotiating for a combination with other firms to mako an : effort to break, the mono'ipojy-.' so' as to be'able'to put spirit' oh the'' •market at the same prico the Standard oils. A new" spirit benzol is now being put 'on tho market, and ''came successfully through a test made on tho Brooklyn. track by. S. F. Edge in a Napier car. \ . .

As an ( instance of the working of . the Standard Oil monppoly at has been stated that,' regardless- of-'freight : : and. (other.: charges, the prices of the motor oils are quite 50 per cont. higher in New Zealand Ithari 'they., aro in Great Britain. "Considerable use hasibeen made of cheap alcohol on the Contiiient for motor purposes, but 'apparently its use in New Zealand, if it has been used at all, has been too limited to have come, under special notice. l Alcohol has, however, been recognised as a possible .serious competitor'to the light petroleum oils.'