PETROL AND POLITICS IN AUSTRALIAANTI-RATIONING LINE

Grey River Argus, 22 August 1949, Page 5

PETROL AND POLITICS IN AUSTRALIA—-ANTI-RATIONING LINE

(Rec 6.30)' SYDNEY, Aug 21. The “Sunday Sun’s Canberra correspondent says: The Australian State Governments will not give the Commonwealth Government the power to reimpose petrol rationing, and the State Governments are not likely to ration petrol themselves. It is known that a strong section of the Victorian State Cabinet opposes rationing. The Tasmanian Legislative Council would not pass any bill for petrol rationing. The Liberal Party in Australia are generally, keen to allow the matter of petrol to rest until after the result of the Federal general election. A correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association, Mr C. R. Mentiplay, said last week’s conference of the Premiers answered few questions on petrol, as Mr Chiiley revealed that in June last the sales soared 45 per cent, when rationing was lifted. This suggested that State Cabinets should be consulted and some, at least, of the States would favour a return to some form of rationing. The increase was questioned and abnormalities in June were alleged. Rationing has been declared illegal as a result of a Court action. This resulted, say spokesmen for garage proprietors and motorists, in panic buying by business firms and private motorists wfio were given no cause to believe that the lifting of the restrictions was permanent. Petrol companies said the June figure was swollen bv 10,000 retailers who, after eight vears on day-to-day rations of petrol, had their chance to fill their underground tanks. Since June the coal strike caused every form of petrol engine to be pressed into service. The reserve of petrol was sufficient to cope with this enormous drain. ■>> Garage proprietors claim that if all the abnormalities were eliminated ffiid people were given, a definite assurance that petrol rationing would not be reimposed, consumption would not rise more than 11 per cent, over the rationed figures. Mr Chifley talks of rationing by the States for periods of not less than three years. The Commonwealth Government controls the importation of petrol and is empowered to order companies to to retain stocks for defence purposes. Mr Chifley will not increase the amount of the total importations because of the strain on Australia’s dollar resources, and he retains, the last say. . . The Minister of Fuel and Shipping (Senator W. P. Ashley) said sales of petrol to consumers in June and July were 121 per cent, above the rationed quota. Statements in the newspapers were based on incomplete reports of the Premiers’ conference. Senator Ashley added that oil companies had a rationed sales quota for June of 34,444,000 gallons and that their preliminary official returns for the Department of Shipping and Fuel showed sales amounting to 45 per cent, above this quota. Subsequently audited sales figures from the oil companies showed June sales as 43 per cent, above the quota. ‘■‘We believe, however, that the original assessment by the Commonwealth that an unrestricted demand would be from 15 to 20 per cent above rationed supplies is realistic,' he said.