PETROL LICENSES

Evening Star, Issue 25563, 15 August 1945, Page 7

PETROL LICENSES

ANOMALIES DISCUSSED ■ SMALL CAR OWNERS PENALISED “ On August 1 the local oil fuel controller received instructions to cancel all licenses of four gallons and under. This instruction was carried out, and all those licenses were : withdrawn,” stated the president of the Otago Automobile Association (Hr H. S. Reid) at the meeting Of the executive last night. “Under date of August 3 a Ministerial statement appeared in the Press throughout the Dominion which stated that when an application was made for: restoration of all or part of a cancelled license, the applicant whose conditions remained the same as when the application was originally made will receive not less than the equivalent of the coupon, plus the former license, so that, in general, no one will have less petrol now than during recent months.” Mr Reid continued: “ The position in, Dunedin, however, is that the local oil fuel controller, in accordance with instructions, is reissuing licenses for half the previous value. For example, a person with a four-gallon license and a three-gallon coupon, previously had seven gallons a month. With his license cancelled and a double coupon he now has only six gallons a month, and it seems that he can receive a license for another two gallons a month. This is most unjust, as the man with a license must have proved that the use of his car was essential, and he is now getting only one gallon more petrol than the ordinary owner who uses his car for pleasure. . ' “ This association considers that extreme hardship is being caused to many business men who have relied to a great extent on these small grants of petrol, and, apart from the unfairness, of the ruling, it has not been recognised by the department that the rationing has always been based on the mileage per gallon and horse power of a car,” said Mr Reid. “It is grossly unfair that a licensee who owns a small car, by reason of which he has consumed less petrol throughout the rationed years than the licensee with a larger car, should now be penalised. For example, Mr X owned a small car, and proved that he required a license to give him 100 miles a month, and was allotted a license for four gallons. Mr Y had a large car, and. proved that he required a license to give him 100 miles a month, and was allotted a license for five or six gallons per month. Mr X now gets a license for two gallons, which, with a four-gallon coupon, gives him six gallons a month, while Mr Y still has his license for five or six gallons, plus a coupon worth eight gallons, a total of 13 or 14. The Executive Committee has taken immediate steps to endeavour to have the matter adjusted through the S.J.M.U.”