DEAR PETROL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 61, 5 December 1917, Page 6

DEAR PETROL

ARE MOTORS A LUXURY? "What is the price of petrol retail to-day?" was asked a motorist by a Dominion reporter yesterday. "To-day's price is 3s. 3d. a gallon from the 'Bowser' " (the ■underground concrete tank kept by some of tho big garages for supplying cars by means of a tap and hose).'The -motorist was asked whether the motor-car could, not be rightly considered a luxury with petrol at such a price. His reply was that it all depended on the n'se the car was Tiding put to and what the means of the owner were. Pleasure-riding to people of moderate ravins with petrol at 3«. 3d. a gallon he considered to be an undoubted luxury.

"I can't say whether such people know what their cars are costing them at the present time, for there aro very few who work out tho actual cost of their car in petrol, lubricating oil, tyros, and ordinary wear and tear on parts. I consider that a moderately heavy 5-fleater car costs approximately Is. a milo to run, and there are few runabouts that cost less than 6d. a mile when everything is taken into account. Look what that means! Trentham is about twenty miles from Wellington— that is to say, it costs £2 to run a car to Trentham and hack—so the taxis who are supposed to 'slap it on' do not make so much, when it is all figured out. At present they get their oil for 245. lOd. per case —a little over 3s. Id. per gallon—and observant taxidrivors who are owners agree that tho quality of tyres is not so good as before the war. Why, they cannot say, but they know that there is not tbo samo wear in them."