PETROL SUPPLIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 July 1941, Page 6

PETROL SUPPLIES

I AUSTRALIA’S NEW SCHEME. , SYDNEY, July 15. ? ■ There have been complaints r against the severity of the petrol raJtioning in this country, coupled with ' a growing agitation by petrol users t'.for some measure of relief. The Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. - Menzies, to-night, announced that ■ the Government had completely re- - viewed the principles relating to the : importation, storage, and distribuition of petrol, and had adopted a ■' new plan. The main features of the ’ ■ new plan were:— ' j First: Persons and firms would be 'licensed to import and store petrol. They thus would be placed' in the ' 1 same- position as the distributors of .petrol who are already licensed. i , Secondly: Quotas for imports would be allotted among the companies so as to provide for the maintenance of the stocks required for Governmental and civilian purposes. Thirdly: In the event of any company failing to import its quota, the Minister of Supply would have the right to divide the deficiency among the other companies, and also to permit the companies to import in excess of their quotas, so long as .the stocks they had in hand were less than the amount stipulated by the Government. Fourthly: Should the Minister be not satisfied that a company was importing at a reasonable cost, he would be empowered to cancel that company’s license, and to allot its quota among the other companies. Fifthly: The importing companies would be required to make a monthly return of the quantities of petrol they imported, and also of the landed costs. Mr. Menzies pointed out that these new powers afforded an elastic sys-’ tern of control under the Government’s direction, under which every facility that was available for the increasing of supplies would be used. Further, when the stocks of petrol were built up to the level desired, the Government would review the rationing in the light of the internationi al system then prevailing, and of the I dollar exchange position. Mr. Men'zies confessed that he had been disturbed when he had discovered quite recently, the extent to which the stocks of petrol had been depleted m this country by comparison with what they were last January.