Petrol Restrictions

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 12

Petrol Restrictions

Sir, —I note with surprise your comment at the foot of a letter written by “Affected Business Man” and' appearing in this morning’s issue of you" paper. Within recent weeks the public has both heard and read a lot about the necessity for petrol restrictions. Mr. Sullivan in a recent broadcast said that the restrictions were being put into force at the request of the British Government. Now it seems to me a most astounding tiling that the people of jkustralia can still obtain all the petrol they want. If there is such urgency to prevent wastage of the precious fluid surely the Government of Australia would have had a similar request. The consumption in Australia must be many times that of tills country and the saving in petrol by similar restrictions in Australia would be a far better proposition to the British Government. It is just as astounding to me that in view of the drastic import restrictions that have been put into force in this country during the past twelve months, and bearing in mind Die reasons for these restrictions, the Government would continue to allow an unrestricted importation of petrol. The story the people of this country have been told is hard to believe. If the British Government has been concerned in this matter, then, I fancy, it has simply accepted an offer made by our Government; an offer that would most certainly assist the Imperial Government but at the same time would be of much greater assistance to our own Government in conserving its overseas funds. In other words, the petrol restrictions are simply a part of the price being paid for the Government’s incompetence and extravagance.—l am, etc. CURIOUS. February 5, 1940.