PETROL RESTRICTIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 256, 26 September 1940, Page 9

PETROL RESTRICTIONS

MODIFICATION SOUGHT

TRADE EMPLOYEES’ VIEWS,

Seeking a relaxation of the present petrol restrictions, but not their total abolition, a meeting, of employees in the motor industry and allied trades in the Manawatu last evening carried the following resolution : “That this representative meeting of 130 employees of the motor industry in the Manawatu district, while realising that some measure of conservation of supplies is necessary, is not convinced by statements made by responsible Ministers, and duly reported in the Press, that restrictions now in force are warranted; is alarmed at the serious falling off of employment resulting thereupon ; and urges the Government to increase and stabilise immediately the petrol ration to private and commercial users. Unless reasonable and immediate measures are-taken to rectify tile existing position, further unemployment and undue hardship must result.”

In opening the meeting,_ the chairman (Mr H. Andersen) said that tile industry now employed 20,000 to 25.000 persons, this number being about half of those employed at September 1, 1939. The restrictions were also reducing taxation revenue. There was no question of party politics in this matter. The motor industry was the second most important in the Dominion, and its existence was now in jeopardy.

CASE FOR EMPLOYEES. “To avoid, at the outset, any possible misconception regarding the motives underlying this movement, I desire to make it quite clear that, so far from wishing to embarass the Government or hamper- the war effort in any way, the investigations we have made and the facts that have been ascertained go to show that, not only would the war effort be stimulated by a more reasonable allowance of petrol, but also that there would be material benefit to business in general and to the motor industry in particular by an immediate review of the all too drastic restrictions that have been operative concerning the use of petrol in this Dominion tor several months past,” said Mr C. Lawson, who was the principal speaker. “It is with this conviction that we feel justified iti strongly pressing our views.” Mr Lawson stressed the seriousness of the position so far as employees in all branches of the motor industry were concerned. “Many men have already lost their employment, a.nd we who are left know only too well that further heavy reductions of staff will have to be made if the present restrictions are continued. Soon after the outbreak of war, the motor trader found that his main source of income —from sales of cars and trucks —was cut off or seriously curtailed, leaving as liis sole source of income his workshops. With the small amount of petrol allowed to private car owners, many of them are forced to leave them idle in their sheds for a part of each month, with the result that the garage owner’s workshop receipts have dwindled to an extent where he has been compelled to dismiss many of his employees.

COMPARISON WITH AUSTRALIA. “The attitude of the Australian Government, where the position in regard to petrol is similar to that of this country is in marked contrast to that of our Government,” Mr Lawson added. “In Australia when restrictions do come into effect it is proposed that private motorists be allowed from ten to 23 gallons according to the horse-power of the engine, as against our ration ot from four to eight gallons. Lnless J the Government is prepared to increase our allowance on similar lines to that i of Australia, it will shortly find that it has a still larger proportion of the motor trade employees on social security. This, we contend, is not only unfair to ourselves in the industry, but it is also definitely uneconomic. An extra 1,000,000 gallons per month for a whole year would cost the country approximately £300,000. From this outlay, the petrol tax alone ' would be £735,000—a very substantial contribution towards the war effort in this country. This proves how essential it is to maintain a certain volume of petrol sales, and the volume we are making for is no more than we reasonably require to keep the industry alive. The Motor Trade Federation has pointed out that the additional amount of 1,000,000 gallons a month, which we are asking for, only represents .006 per cent, of the petrol used for the whole of the United Kingdom for the year 1938. , , A “It is important to remember that we do not question the principle of rationing to prevent waste. In fact, the industry has all along been only too ready to assist the Government in this respect, but we do strongly object to rationing beyond a reasonable minimum, as applying to-day. New Zealand is probably one ot the smallest users of petrol in the British Dominions, and it does seem strange _ that it has been so essential in the interests of the successful conduct of the war for little New Zealand alone to be so treated. Hon. W. Nash, Minister of Finance, implies that the present restriettions are being persisted in at the request of the British Government, but in view of cablegrams he has quoted, and of the other facts in the ease, we feel constrained to think that this is not the true position and we have yet to learn what is the actual justification for these unduly severe restrictions. Is it a question of conserving sterling funds? The New Zealand Trade Review shows that for the year 1940 the imports of whisky, wines and rum are at the_rate of £57,000 greater than they were in 1939, while tea imports during 1940 are at the rate of over £400,000 per annum greater than they were in 1939. The short point is this: That while sterling exchange is being saved to a small degree on this petrol issue the losses within the Dominion in other respects are proving disastrous to the motor industry, affecting the livelihood and well-being of thousands of loyal workers and their families. We entirely agree with the principle of avoiding waste and extravagance and of the conservation of stocks of petrol, but we do feel that the motorist, the motor industry, and we ourselves are being unnecessarily penalised, without any corresponding benefit to the united war effort.” REQUEST TO MINISTER.

One member of the audience said it appeared to him that if the running of cars for pleasure were eliminated there would be plenty of petrol. In reply to a question this speaker said lie was not employed directly in the motor trade, but was in the engineering trade. The motion already quoted was then proposed, seconded, and carried with but one dissentient. It was decided to forward the motion to the Minister of Finance.

Mr Lawson drew the attention of the meeting to a petition by petrol users to the Government that the allowance- of petrol for private cars be increased to the equivalent of 320 miles per month. This petition was to be circulated by the motor trade and the 'meeting endorsed action in

this respect. It was suggested by Mr Lawson that the employees’ union take action to assist the employees’ representations, and the secretary of the branch of the union at this centre, Mr J. P. Queenan, said it was hoped that the restrictions would be relaxed in October. The matter was left to the union deal with.