PETROL RATIONS

Grey River Argus, 11 September 1940, Page 6

PETROL RATIONS

A Comparison N.Z. AND AUSTRALIA. WELLINGTON, September 10. The N.Z. Motor Trade E'ederation has issued a statement as follows: — The spirit of the New Zealand people is completely attuned to the making of any sacrifices that may be imperative for war purposes. But what if they are asked to accept sacrifices greater than those of the people of the British Isles who are to-day bearing the brunt of the war? Surely then they may reasonably ask “Is this necessity arising from war?” That is just the position in regard to petrol. The motor trade has been, and is, willing to make every sacrifice that the necessities of war dictate. We are prepared to concede the need for petrol rationing within reason. But when the New Zealand motorist is allowed less petrol than many British private car owners and less than half the petrol ration of the Australian motorist, we must feel that the vast industrial and commercial structure built on petrol is being placed in jeopardy for reasons outside the requirements of our wartime economy. Here is a comparison of the basic petrol allowances for private users in New Zealand, Great Britain and Australia:

The figures for Great Britain are taken from the “Motor” of June sth.; the Australian figures are extracted from the bulletin of the Australian Liquid Fuel Control Board. The New Zealand owners of 8 h pi cars, 14 h.p. cars and cars 20 h.p. and over receive a smaller petrol allowance than their English counterparts. Remember that these three classes make up by far the largest part of the motor cars operating in New Zealand. In the last three years, two out of every three new cars sold in New Zealand were in one of these three classes which receive greater petrol allowances in England. The Australian petrol allowances are, of course, in almost all cases, more than double the New Zealand ration. We have no information on the petrol allowance for business users in England, but the Australian scheme allows them liberal treatment. Such protests as we raise against this state of affairs are no refusal on the part of the New Zealand people to practice war-time selfdenial. Suffering and sacrifice we are prepared to sharq with good heart, provided it ensures the security of our national existence. Such rationing as is necessary we will accept, but rationing more severe than that adopted in England—right at the seat of war—appears to us both ill-advised and unnecessary. There seems to be no logical reason which could be supported in fact and not merely in theory, to warrant such severe rationing. There seems no justification for the complete wiping out of hundreds of thousands of pounds in earnings every year and of thousands upon thousands of pounds of taxation revenue, to save a little of that sum in dollar exchange or overseas credit, or whatever it is the Government is trying to save.

There seems to be no right thinking in this scale of rationing which will bring ruin to many in the motor business, will bring (yes, has brought) unemployment in its train, is seriously reducing the Government’s taxation revenue transport services.

N.Z. Btn. Aust Up to 7 h.p. 4 4 10 Up to 8 h.p. 4 5 10 Up to 9 h.p. 4 5 11 Up to 10 h.p. 6 6 11 Up to 12 h.p. 6 6 13 Up to 14 h.p. 6 7 14 Up to 15 h.p. 8 7 16 Up to 19 h.p. 8 8 16 Up to 20 h.p. 8 10 16 Up to 30 h.p. 8 10 19 Over 30 h.p. 8 10 23