PETROL RESTRICTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 144, 14 December 1940, Page 10

PETROL RESTRICTIONS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The Government having taken over various private transport companies by compulsion, and so created a monopoly, has now issued a circular letter which reads as follows:—"In order to give effect to a general scheme concerning the co-ordination of transport services and at the same time with a view to conserving petrol, I have to advise you that after Saturday, June 22, 1940, the Railway Department will not provide a collection service for the conveyance of goods and parcels from the Wellington City area to rail, and I shall be glad if you will kindly arrange from that date to make your own transport arrangements in this latter connection. I feel sure you will readily appreciate the necessity for the Department's action, and I desire to thank you for your past patronage and trust that the same happy business relationships will continue in the future." You will note the phrase "at the same time with a view to conserving petrol." Now, Sir, for the past many years the railways have collected parcels twice daily, and been kept very busy. Now they have discontinued this service but, not reduced their charges. It there-' fore means that if, say, a hundred firms wish to send a few parcels each through the railway, that hundred firms have to procure separate transport for their respective parcels, so we have a hundred separate transports instead of the one collecting van—another instance of the Labour Government's idea of "Save petrol and win the war," which goes hand in hand with the large lorry which still collects half to four mail bags from the incoming trams from the suburbs, as seen any day waiting with their men ati Kelburn tram stop when a hand barrow will do the job at easily an eighth of the cost and certainly save benzine. —I am, etc., BE CONSISTENT. [The Railway Department stated with reference to this letter that the collection of parcels had been in normal times a free service over a certain area in Wellington city. It was discontinued in June last when conditions made [the necessity for conserving petrol]

urgent and imperative. The free collection service had no bearing whatever on the railage rates. The collection of suburban mails is a matter which does not concern the Railway Department.]