PETROL SELLING

Grey River Argus, 6 December 1938, Page 7

PETROL SELLING

RESTRICTION IN VICTORIA. MELBOURNE, November 17. A new law fixing hours for the sale of petrol, oils and motor accessories has been proclaimed to operate from November 28. The new law will also prohibit the carting of icecreams, aerated waters and cordials on Sundays from the place of manufacture or from, any depot of the manufacturer. Trading hours of garages have been fixed as follows.— Metropolitan area: Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Fridays, 7 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.; Mondays to Thursdays, 7 a.m'. to 8 p.m. Outside metropolitan area: On the usual weekly halfholiday, Sundays and public holidays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.; on the day on which the late trading night is observed, 7 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.; on the other days of the week, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Petrol, oil or accessories may be supplied after hours in an emergency, but records of sales must be kept' in a book. Details which must be placed in the book are: Registered number of car; make of car; details of purchase with date and time; name of registered owner of car; address of owner; name of the driver and his destination; reasons for the purchase and the circumstances claimed to constitute the emergency; signature and address of traveller who verified the information appearing opposite his name.

Mr. E. W. Miller, ,one of the sponsors of a proposed Garage Proprietors’ Defence League, said that many proprietors would be ruined by the new law. Country garages would be more harshly affected than those m the metropolitan area, as tourists would be forced to buy petrol in the city before they began country journeys. Mr. Miller also said that many proprietors would be compelled to make extensive alterations to premises which had been designed for a 24hour service. The proprietors wanted the operation of the law deferred for a year to enable a committee to investigate its probable effects. ~