UP FOURPENCE A GALLON

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 8

UP FOURPENCE A GALLON

PETROL DEARER AS FROM TO-DAY INCREASED DUTY PASSED ON TO MOTORISTS PUMP STATIONS BUSY LAST NIGHT As from to-day, the Vacuum Oil Company announces, the price of petrol will be advanced by 4d. per gallon. This increase represents the amount of the petrol tax which was recently decided upon by the Government. The Vacuum Company’s an. nouncement, of course, refers to the wholesale price of petrol. Most of the proprietors of petrol supply stations are members of the Petrol Retailers’ Association, which had already reached a decision, to pass on the fourpence net to the motorist. This was confirmed by several suppliers interviewed last night, and one of them stated that, in any case, whether the duty went up or down, the suppliers only made the same profit per . gallon. This business is not carried on on a percentage of profit, but by a margin of profit per gallon—a fraction under 2d. Since the Government announced the imposition of the tax there have been several rumours that the price was to be increased. upon stocks in hand before the tax -was imposed being exhausted. These*rumours were usually followed by a rush of business at the petrol stations. The rumour regarding the imposition of the increase to-day had evidently travelled pretty freely yesterday, for towards the evening most of the stations were being fairly rushed, and in the majority of cases, where two or four gallons were taken, the order was “Fill her up!”