PETROL RESTRICTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 August 1940, Page 2

PETROL RESTRICTIONS

“UNNECESSARILY ARBITRARY”

The view that the present restriction of petrol is having the effect of seriously dislocating trade and industry in the Dominion was expressed by the president of the New Zealand Motor Trades Federation, Mr. C. R. Edmond, in an address to the N.Z. Manufacturers’ Federation at Auckland. Ho contended that the restriction was actually hindering rather than furthering the war effort, and that another 1,000,000 gallons a<-month was urgently needed. “It is clear that the cost to New Zealand of this so-called ‘war effort’ to reduce petrol consumption is far greater than could possibly have been envisaged by those responsible for the restriction,” he said. “This cost, with its consequent lessening of ability to provide the wherewithal to carry on war, far outweighs the advantage of the relatively few gallons of petrol saved. It shotild be made clear that the motor trade does not disagree with the general thought of conservation of petrol, if by the word ‘conservation’ is meant the elimination of waste and unnecessary usage. The points of objection, and most strenuous objection, are that the Government has been unnecessarily arbitrary in its method of restriction, has limited the use of petrol beyond the point where it can be considered economically sound or helpful as a war effort, and that its failure to make a clear and concise statement of its future policy has fostered the belief in the minds of the buying public that a complete cessation of supplies of petrol is not at all unlikely.” j Mr. Edmond denied that there was any lack of petrol, stating that,it was reported in the “Petroleum Press Service” that production in the United States would need to be curtailed, and that stocks in hand there totalled 4,563,240,000 gallons. “So far as shipping is concerned,” he said, “it i# stated on reliable authority that there is no lack of tankers to bring petrol to New Zealand. There are many tankers in the world to-day whose owners are not willing to accept the risks attendant upon carrying cargoes to Great Britain, but which are available to carry cargoes to New Zealand. OF HYSTERIA” “Consumption of petrol in New Zealand before the outbreak of war was 100 million gallons a year, and it is estimated that a reasonable conservation by co-operation of the users would have resulted in a reduction to 84 million gallons c year. The Government, however, are trying to drive the usage down to 72 million gallons a year or gallons a month; therefore this whole disturbance to the motor industry and the economic, industrial ana social life of the community results from a desire on the part of the Government to force a saving of 1,000,0b0 gallons a month—irrespective of the cost to the country. The yeM value of 1,000,000 gallons of petrol can be better assessed if it is known that |;he United Kingdom’s peace-time cbnsumption is in the neighbourhocd of 2,000,000,000 gallons a year akd that the world peacetime consumption is 33,682,000,000 gallons a yea - . After stating that the'regulation allowing no petrol to private motorists at the beginnng of the war was “bora of hysteria o the moment,” Mr. Edmond continued: “That a degree of war hysteria till exists and that there is not yet any real understanding of the - repercussions and far-reaching effects of too severe petrol restriction is evidenced from the constantly changing Go'ernment decrees with regard to pel’ol rationing. Also, instructions tojthe representatives of the oil fuel c mtroller in each district are so vague that, to a large extent, petrol availalle to businesses and factories under special licences is dependent upor the outlook of some individual, whc, by no stretch of imagination, can lie said to have sufficient knowledge oi ability to judge the needs of a maiufacturing concern.” Mr. Edmoni concluded by urging manufacturer!; to join in a campaign to urge on th Government “the urgent and dire heed” to ameliorate the petrol position. He said that another 1,000,000 gallons a month was needed and needed urgently.