RATIONING RACKET

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20414, 26 November 1940, Page 8

RATIONING RACKET

ADULTERATED petrol N.S.W. RETAILERS’ PROFIT SYDNEY, Nov. 10_ New regulations fra 'tiieh , to tighten up petrOl rationing will have to be tightened still further; judging by motorists’ complaints that they are buying adulterated petrol. The adulteration reveals that racketeering under the petrol coupon system is Itill going on. Unscrupulous retailers make available at 4d a gallon petrol coupon's to customers who are short of them, and immediately re-collect them in return for petrol sold to their Value., By this method they make, safes which the rationing, system' would der prive them of,, and to b&lgrice, ijjeit records they resort to adiiltefatidn,', Liquid Fuel Control. Board regulations require that retailers’, safes and purchases must balance, and. the obvious recourse is to add substitutes to make up the deficiency. . ..... ..... “I aYn .hot at all surprised,’’ ]sfv Clive, flodgihs, secretary Of, the R.A.C.A., when the reports wefe referred, to him, , , “Motorists have infOrihCtl, me that they* have been offered petrol id larg&t quantities than they have ■held coupons for, and I have pointed, out that in, such cases the petrol, thust b'e one of tw6 things—adulterated Or •bootlegged'.’ , . , “From complaints of car ovVners regarding ’unsatisfactory performandes Of their, cars just recently, it seerhs that adulterated spirit is being marketed. “A dishonest dealer coujd tip 50 gallons of kerosene into 5m gallons of petrol and make a handsome profit by this system of fraud."