PETROL HOARDS v

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20625, 5 August 1941, Page 5

PETROL HOARDS v

AUSTRALIAN CHECK PRIVATE STOCKS FROZEN RETURNS REQUIRED (Reed. Aug. 4, 9 a.m.) SYDNEY. Aug. 4. The cutting down of petrol supplies to the bare bone has practically paralysed the motor industry and delivery services throughout Australia, the repercussions of which are being felt by industry generally. The Commonwealth Government yesterday adopted the extreme course to get complete control of petrol stocks remaining in the country by issuing an order freezing all supplies held by private persons. As from last night everybody, other than oil companies and retailers,, holding stocks' in excess of 12 gallons, is required to make a return to the Fuel Board within the present month. The Minister of Supply, Senator McLeay, emphasised that this action amounted to the marshalling of data which would be available in a readily useable form in case of necessity. A report from Brisbane on the subject of petrol-hoarding says that hidden under a fake haystack in New South Wales is a private petrol hoard of 16,000 gallons in 400-gallon drums. This is only one of a series of reserve stocks secreted throughout the Commonwealth since the enforcement of rationing. Conservative official estimates place the total of private reserves at 15,000,000 gallons.