SALE OF PETROL

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 74, 28 March 1930, Page 13

SALE OF PETROL

PRICE-CUTTING ALLEGED "LIVINGOOrN r THE DISCOUNT" (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.") CHBISTCHURCH, This Day. Price-cutting by petrol retailers was tho subject «f much discussion at a meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of a petrol. station proprietor at tho office of the Official Assignee yesterday. Bankrupt under examination*' said that- sometimes he had sold petrol at cost price and lost'-tho discount through not being able to pay monthly. "How is the price of petrol fixed?" asked the Official-Assignee (Mr. J. H. Robertson). "It is not fixed at all," said bankrupt. ' . ' "vThc prices are lower here than anywhere (jlse in New Zealand," volunteered Mr. T. Milliken, bankrupt's solicitor. •■- ■ • "Arc they cutting one another's throats all the time!" asked the Assignee. — "Yes," several people said. "I was hoping that the price would be fixed. It was once, for three or four weeks, and then they were cutting again," said bankrupt. "It seems that it would be wise to fix the price, or we will have a few more of these bankruptcies," commented tho Assignee...- . ■ . An oil company representative pointed out that an extra halfpenny discount was allowed on each gallon over 800- put through a pump in a month. "The position is, I suppose, that these stations are trying to sell petrol at cost and live on the discount," said Mr. Robertson. "That is so," he was told.