TYRES FOR CARS

Grey River Argus, 23 June 1943, Page 4

TYRES FOR CARS

Still Difficulty TRUCK TYRE POSITION IMPROVED. STATEMENT’ BY MR SULLIVAN. LPer Press Association] PARLIAMENT BLDGS., June 22. An announcement about the position regarding motor-car and truck tyres was made by the Minister of Supply (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) tonight. The Minister said that as a result of the visit of Mr H. G. Miller to America, England and Australia, on the authority of the War Cabinet, the truck tyre position had now definitely improved, though the necessity for the utmost conservation was still necessary. However, stocks on hand .and coming forward were expected to be sufficient for the maintenance of essential heavy transport in the Dominion. . The position regarding new car tyres, however, was still most difficult, and there could not be any increase in the present quotas for vehicles coming within the eligibility list. It had not been possible to meet the required numbers of permits in some districts out of each month’s quota, so that an extension of the scope of the present eligibility list was out of the question. Nevertheless, the shortage in the car field has been relieved considerably by an increase made in the quota for B grade retreads, and further relief to essential car users might be possible through local maufacturers by a new process of tyres reconstructed from salvaged tyres. The Minister added that the quota for new car tyres would continue to be granted only to persons coming within the eligibility list, except that, should the quota in any particular area be satisfied, the tyres left over would be available to holders of petrol licenses engaged in essential work who did not qualify under the eligibility list. The prospects of relief in this manner, however, were very slight. Mr Sullivan said that the main alteration in the administration of the tyre position was in the field of retreads. Under the new procedure persons on the eligibility list would no longer automatically qualify for A grade retreads. They would continue to secure retreading permits, but it would be at the discretion of the local Oil Fuel Committees as to whether' A or B retreads were granted. Applicants preferring permits for. reconstructed tyres should specify this in their applications. It should now be possible, said Mr Sullivan, to grant permits to most holders of oil fuel licenses for retreads or reconstructed tyres. With regard to used tyres, all car owners, whether holders of special oil fuel licenses or not, were still entitled to apply for permits for used tyres, but applicants should first locate the necessary tyres before applying for a permit, which 1 would be readily granted. The maximum- price for second-hand tyres was fixed at fifty per cent, of the new tyre value. Mr Sullivan said that it was hoped that retreading and reconstructing would enable them to get out of the recent 1 difficulties regarding essential motorists who could not be included in the eligibility list because of the shortage of new tyres, and he stressed that oil fuel license holders could keep their cars on the road by watching their tyres carefully and availing themselves of retreading and jreconstrudtion facilities when necessary. He could hold out little prospect of new car tyres being available generally to motorists not on eligibility lists in immediate future, for the rubber position w.as still very grave, but the Government was now quite hopeful of being able to keep all essential cars on the road under the above arrangement.