FEWER PETROL TINS

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLVI, Issue 3168, 15 November 1927, Page 3

FEWER PETROL TINS

A SCARCITY THREATENED,

ARTICLE OP MANY USES,

The familiar petrol tin, an article wliiehs can readily be adapted to serve a wide variety of purposes in the home or in the garden, is becoming scarce. Progress has brought the '' bowser,' ' and it is this device, which provides petrol rapidly and conveniently, that threatens the supply of pcI trol tins. j Was there ever a household article costing nothing that could be put to so many practical uses as an empty petrol (tin? It held/the coals —in the kitchen at any rate —and the rubbish and the ashes, and the water on washing days and when the floors were being scrubbed. When eggs were at their bedrock price the thrifty housewife sought two or three of these .tins and filled them with eggs and . preservatives against the day when the grocer would ask 4d each for such luxuries. Sometimes the tins were tacked inside bins to hold the bread and flour and meal. Gardeners turned them to good account when they wanted something larger than a flowerpot. Almost all the purposes of a bucket they served faithfully, and on most farms good use could be found for them. To the hearts of small boys they were dear, not only for the sheer delight of beating upon them, but for serious purposes like cricket—there could be no question about it when the "wicket" was hit —and learning to swim. Organisers of charitable bazaars had them cut down and ornamented for a dozen different ingenious purposes that would attract their patrons. In short, everyone regarded them as one of the few undisputed blessings of civilisation.

But times have changed. Case oil has been largely superseded by bulk oil, and the use of tins is no longer necessary. So quickly has the change come about that already there is some difficulty in securing tins. Probably before long they may begin to have a commercial value and the farmer and the householder may yet have to buy their petrol tins. The importation of case oil has greatly decreased in proportion to the importation of bulk oil. Fortnightly ships from America still bring large quantities of petrol in tins, for there will always be a certain demand for the spirit in this. form. Some prefer to pay the extra price entailed in order that they may be certain they are getting their favourite brand of motor spirit. There are many country districts, too, ■where, on account of transport difficulties, the spirit will have to be taken in cases rather than in bulk. Cases are also required by launch owners for their purposes. The fact remains, however, that petrol tins are much more difficult to obtain now than a few years ago, and the number now coming into the country is likely still further to decrease. As far j as kerosene is concerned, its use has j been greatly reduced by the widespread introduction of electricity into country districts. Inquiries from tinworkers and hardware merchants indicate that the disappearance of the handy tin has not yet made itself felt to any extent in those businesses. There has, however, been a great falling-off in the damand for the funnels which every motorist once used when filling his tank. The demand for galvanised buckets has not increased as yet, but it is expected that as the season advances in the country a great many of these will be required to do duty where hitherto tins have sufficed.