MOTOR-FUEL SALES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20034, 5 September 1939, Page 7

MOTOR-FUEL SALES

ESSENTIAL SERVICES RATIONING SCHEME PRIVATE CARS’ .POSITION (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. An announcement was made to-day by Mr. A. Tyndall, who has been appointed oil-fuel controller, that titter midnight on Wednesday no ordinary persons will be able to procure supplies of petrol, unless they possess and present a license. The ration will be two gallons at one time.

Mr. Tyndall said that although provision had been made in the regulations for the rationing of all kinds' of oil-fuel, these would apply to motor spirits and power kerosene only in the meantime.

The rationing scheme would be brought into operation, and would be administered by the , controller through district and sub-district controllers. There would be a district controller for each postal district in New Zealand, and a sub-district controller at most places where there was a deputy-registrar of motor vehicles.

Resellers of motor spirit were required to inform the local sub-dis-trict controller immediately of the total stocks of motor spirit and kerosene held by them. Obtaining' of Licenses Persons desirous of obtaining licenses to purchase these commodities must appiy at the post offices, where forms would be available. Private car owners would be unable to obtain supplies of motor spirits at the commencement of the rationing scheme, but it was hoped, if the available supplies were found to be sufficient to meet the requirements of essential services, to extend authority for consumption to private owners.

The prices to be charged for motor spirit would be those operating under the Motor Spirits Regulation of Prices 'Act. Until the rationing scheme became fully effective, resellers would not be permitted to sell to other than regular customers. The supply to private car-owners would be limited to two gallons at any one time. Any persons who had not secured a license by midnight on the second day after the gazetting of the regulations was to be refused supplies. Provisional licenses would be available to borderline cases.

BUSINESS FIRMS ASSIST CARS OFF THE ROAD As a result of the announcement of restrictions on the sale of motor spirit and the necessity of conserving supplies, some of the business firms in Gisborne are taking steps to assist the authorities as far as possible, and are putting a portion, of their fleets used in the course of business off the road, at least, for the time being. Some of these cars were making their last runs to-day. It is stated that one firm is garaging indefinitely three of its cars. It was noticed this afternoon that fewer private cars were using the roads, owners, no doubt, conserving the supplies of petrol they have in their tanks. Already there is a demand on bicycles, and a well-known Gisborne firm to-day put in an order for three bicycles for its executive officers.