EARLY END OF PETROL RATIONING?

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22951, 20 May 1949, Page 4

EARLY END OF PETROL RATIONING?

ALTHOUGH many reports of an early end to petrol rationing have been in circulation in the past six months most have lacked authority and- the attitude of the public generally has been one of seeing is believing. Yesterday, however, two authoritative statements were made that inspire hope. The oil fuel controller, Mr. Laurenson, announced that the abolition of rationing was under consideration, but a statement by the president of the North Island Motor Union, Mr. Brown, went further.' He said that the Minister of Supply, Mr. Nordmeyer, favoured abolition and had made representations to the British Government with that objective. There has been much unnecessary secrecy about petrol. Immediately after the war we were told that the problem was the shortage of refining equipment and tankers. Subsequently, the problem was said to be one of currency—sterling area petrol being sold to the United States for dollars or supplied under Marshall aid dollar credits to Europe. The Australians, on the other hand, seem to have been told that rationing is being continued because the sterling area is not producing enough petrol for its own requirements and that if Australia receives more Britai.il will have to go without or spend more dollars in buying it. There should have been much more frankness, here and elsewhere, in explaining the position to the public. Instead, people have been kept guessing. Oil company experts say that there is no shortage of petrol in the world despite an enormous increase in consumption. The United States today is using more petrol than the whole world consumed in 1938. Her daily consumption is 270,000 tons, which would be amply sufficient for the annual needs of countries such as Holland and Denmark. The United States is now importing more petrol than she is exporting but, against that, there'is reported to be a great surplus of “sterling” oil. The leader of the Australian Country Party, Mr. Fadden, this week said that last year the production of “sterling ” oil was 68,000,000 tons, and the consumption of the whole of the British Commonwealth only 45,000,000 tons. While no country is more anxious than New Zealand to help Britain in her present complicated financial problems, the lifting of petrol rationing, if it can be accomplished without serious injury to British Commonwealth interests, would be welcomed in this 'Dominion. In the Gisborne and East Coast districts, in particular, where communications have not been developed as much as in other parts, ample supplies of petrol are of the. greatest importance in the functioning of the life of the community.