THE PETROL FAMINE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15919, 3 May 1912, Page 8

THE PETROL FAMINE.

ONLY A WEEK'S SUPPLY LEFT. RAPID ASCENT OF PRICES. NO PROSPECT OF IMMEDIATE RELIEF. "In a week from to-day there will not bo a motor vehicle running in Christchurch." That was tho startling prophecy mado by the garage manager of a big motor importing firm in this city last evening in response to an innocent query by a reporter as to whether there was a shortage of petrol at present. " It's more than a shortage," ho continued. "There is hardly any petrol left in the town. Wo are using stove naptha, and I believe we have tho biggest etock of that in the city. Yet wo have only sufficient to meet a normal week's demand. Tho price has been going up by leaps and bounds during the past few days. Yesterday we quoted lb's a case. To-day it was £1 a case. To-morrow it will be at least 255. Most of tho other firms are worse off than we are. The taxi-cab people are putting cabs out of commission in numbers, and those that arc sent out are limited to two or four gallons of petrel. When that is exhausted the driver finishes work for tho day." " When are fresh supplies expected?" was the next query. " Not for a'month or six weeks," was tho reply, "and even then the supplies on order will only bo a drop in the bucket compared with the fierce demand that there will be by* that time. And as the shortage is almost as bad in Australia, it is quite likely that New Zealand won't get any at all. Even in America, it is reported, the prices have gone up eight and ten cents a gallon. ■ . Tho motor-cars in; this city seem' to bo in for a long rest. There are 500 cases due for Christchurch out of a shipment of 2500 for New Zealand from Melbourne, but we'll be very lucky if we get it. They'll need it just as badly there." "Is any cause given for the shortage?" was tho next question. " Well, the Vacuum Oil people say that the Russian supplies can't get through tho Dardanelles, owing to the Turco-Italian war. But I don't see how that explains the situation." Additional information was gleaned that the representative of an American motor firm in this city had some time ago invested in sixty-five cases of gasoline, which he was holding for some such emergency as this. Gasoline was rumoured to bo about four times as powerful as petrol, and the enterprising American looked forward to making a nice little profit ou his "corner."

POSITION SERIOUS FOR COMMERCIAL FIRMS.

RETURN TO HORSES INEVITABLE.

Groat anxiety was expressed by a member of a well-known local wholesale firm as to the probable result of the shortage. His business, as well as others in Christchurch, he said, had .practically discarded the horse and relied on motor vehicles for delivering its goods. They would be face to faco with a very serious difficulty in the event of failure to obtain the petrol necessary to keep their cars on the road. The return to horso traction that would be rendered necessarv would, he was sure, result in a considerable amount of inconvenience and loss to his own and to various other firms in Christchurch. "It will be like a return to mediaeval times," a local doctor said, in discussing the probable temporary return of the horse age. "Motor-cars are now practically indispensable adjuncts for every doctor, and members of the profession will be greatly inconvenienced if the shortage should prove of long duration."

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION DISCUSSES SITUATION.

NO REMEDY AVAILABLE,

The committee of the Automobile Association discussed the situation last night at its meeting. One cf the members suggested that, in order to alleviate the difficulty, the Government should remove tho duty from pure alcohol to be used for driving motor-cars. An informal discussion took place, but nothing definite was done in tho matter. LACK OF TRANSPORT TO BLAME. Although the blocking of the Dardanelles by the Turkish authorities will probably cause the hold-up of a number of vessels bearing oil from the Caspian oilfield, the explanation of the present shortage of oil-fuel, which is apparent all ovor the world, is not duo to any belligerent measures but to the insufficiency of the provisions made for the transport of the oil, the demand for which has increased remarkably in tho past few years. Notwithstanding the present shortage, ■which has been creeping on for the past six months at least, wells in Mexico havo been closed down on account of the impossibility of carrying the oil to a market. In California thero are large quantities of oil lying ready for the transport that is totallv inadequate for tho demands that aro being made. Feverish efforts are being made in Great Britain to cope with the increase in the world's trade, and tho construction of ships fitted for the carriage of oil in bulk is being pushed forward rapidly. The shipbuilding yards of Britain are said to be busier than they havo been for many years. In all there are not more than one hundred and fifty " tank" ships for the transportation of oil, and cargo steamers cannot lift enough ca«e oil, on account of tho insurance rates, which are high for such a dangerous commodity. In tho recent coal strike in Britain the supply of oil fuel was not sufficient for the demands of the companies that desired to use oil as fuel instead of coal, and then it was recognised that the lack of transDort would cause a shortage. Oil in quantities large enough to meet the requirements of the world can be obtained to-day, but it is impossible to carry it to the consumers fast enough. The war has helped to accentuate the trouble, but tho inadequacy of the transport has caused the famine.

EXPERIENCE IN AUCKLAND [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, May 2

The position wiiih regard to the threatened benzine famine remains unaltered. During the last few days there has been a big run on local stocks, and those who should be competent to form an accurate opinion state that, doubt exists as to whether supplies will hold out until tho arrival of tho steamer Hohenfels from New York via Mel-, bourne and Sydney, about a fortnight hence. No other oil boats have yet been reported as leaving New York for New Zealand. The run takes about eighty days.

Local merchants attribute the cause of tho delay of supplies to tho freight war which has prevailed in the shipping circles of America. The extensive use of benzine nowadays for motor cars and boats, as well as for manufacturing machinery, renders such a shortage, of serious moment to modern traffic. Although smaller consumers report that they have to pay as high as 15s per case, the manager of a big

oil firm told a newspaper representative this morning that his company had not raised the price above the normal charge of about lis Cd per case.

DUNEDIN'S HAPPY SITUATION. [Per Press Association.] DUNEDIN, May 2. Inquiries show that there is a shortage of benzine and petrol in Dunedin, but so for prices are unchanged. It is understood that the Vacuum Oil Company has sufficient supplies to keep Dunedin clients going for some time, but any large orders will not be taken from local garages. A keen demand has also set in from Timaru and Oamaru. and Dunedin .merchants are endeavouring to secure supplies for Christchurch and the North Island, but large quantities cannot bo secured. It is considered that the local supplies will bo sufficient till the arrival of a shipment by tho Hohenfels.