PETROL RATIONING

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 8

PETROL RATIONING

Minister’s Request For Co-operation HANDLING APPEALS An appeal for the co-operation ot commercial organizations and the farming community in the administration of the petrol rationing scheme was made on Saturday by the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan. He said that the Government was doing everything in its power to equalize the sacrifice entailed by the 30 per cent, overall reduction in petrol consumption. Anomalies were bound to occur, but as quickly as these became evident steps were taken to have them remedied. Thousands of appeals were at present under consideration by representative advisory committees throughout the country. Tlie committees, said the Minister, realized the importance of petrol in the daily life of the community and they were handling every appeal with the utmost expedition. It was essential, however, that tlie committees should consider every application fully, and he appealed to applicants not to be impatient regarding what they might feel to be unnecessary delays. Unfortunately many of the amounts asked for were far 'beyond the normal requirements of the applicants, and as a result all applications had to be examined by the committees in considerable detail. The Minister appealed to commercial users to be reasonable in their applications and to remember that the restrictions were being imposed at the request of the British Government for war purposes and not for reasons of New Zealand’s internal economy. “Before the basic commercial rates were fixed, the working results of the first period of rationing were considered in great detail,” said the Minister. “For instance, the average amount of petrol consumed in business vehicles during this period was, in addition to tlie coupons allowed, approximately 30 gallons a .month. This amount was accordingly fixed as the standard monthly rate for this type of vehicle, and it was arranged that claims in excess of this amount should be submitted with written evidence to advisory committees that have been appointed all over the country. These committees are composed of representatives specially selected for their first-hand knowledge of motor traffic in their districts. The committees are acting in a purely advisory capacity, liut they are giving every claim careful and disinterested consideration. They are already considering applications and their recommendations to the district controller are at present coming forward. r “The services of these representatives with knowledge of local conditions have been co-opted because , the Government, realizes the ramifications and the seriousness of the problem. Co-operation witli them and with the district controllers will not only be helping the conservation of petrol, but will ibe vitally assisting New Zealand in its war efforts.”