Government Motors in Rotorua Out Of Petrol

Northern Advocate, 25 November 1947, Page 3

Government Motors in Rotorua Out Of Petrol

out of petrol yesterday. They will not be able to ge Although there was no short? company which had the contract had by Friday issued within Ir allocation of 2200 gallons for the

Ample supplies lay in the company's Rotorua depot, but as the head ; office oi' the linn had fixed the GovJ eminent share here at 2200 gallons a fortnight the local staff were powerloss to exceed this quota. The departments most seriously affected are the Public Works and the Native Departments, which together use more than 80 vehicles, all dependent lor their petrol on the Rotorua depot of the company BASIS OF ALLOCATION Although only about a dozen vehicles of these two departments could not bo used yesterday most of the others have only a few gallons in their tanks, which will be exhausted soon. Clher departments in the town which have been affected are the | Tourist, Internal Affairs and Lands I and Survey. If petrol is not forthcoming tourist launch services on the lake will have to be curtailed. The head of one department who was to have gone to the Bay of Plenty today on important business has had to postpone his trip. It is understood that the allocation is based on the consumption of the local departments for the same month last year. This has faMed to take into account the considerable expansion cf the activities of the departments. APPLY TO CRITICISM "I understand a certain amount of unwarranted criticism is being made about the amount of petrol being consumed bv Government departments," said the Minister of Supplv (Mr Nordmeyer) in a statement. “In order that this misunderstanding may be cleared up, I would point out that Government departments have in the main had their petrol supplies cut considerably more than, private firms or individuals.” The Minister added that in the case of trading departments such as the railways, those services had been cut on the same basis as equivalent services run by private firms.

One exception was the Post and Telegraph Department, whose services in running mails and maintaining communications were regarded as essential and had not been reduced. “All other Government departments were instructed by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) to make savings in their petrol usage." said Mr Nordmeyer.

“Returns for a number of these departments show a 25 per cent reduction in October consumption compared with the September consumption." “NO DOLLAR SAVING” "The entry of the state oil company J into the New Zealand market will not | result in any additional saving in dollars whatever to sterling economy as a whole, of which New Zealand forms jan integral part.” said Mr Peter MciGlashan, acting-general manager of the Shell Oil Co. Mr McGlashan said his company fell it must reply to statements by officials of the British Petroleum Co. of New Zealand, in which the state had a controlling interest, particularly to the statement by Mr G. G. G. Watson, ' chairman of directors of the new company, that it was looking forward to the time "when the company was supplying British petrol in British ships to New Zealand. When this was achieved it would mean a great dollar saving." Mr McGlashan said the tenor of the statements by senior officials of the new company implied that the existing oil companies at present marketed only dollar petrol in dollar vessels, and that the importation of sterling petrol by the new company would be a highly desirable departure from the present methods. CAN’T MEET DEMANDS -The whole production of the British oil companies is at present insufficient to meet the demands on them for petroleum products,” he said. “Therefore, to satisfy even the current rationed level of consumption in British territory, the deficiency must be made up by the importation ol' petroleum, particularly petrol and fuel oil. from dollar sources by the British oil companies. “In spite of strenuous efforts, this position is likely to persist l'or at least two years until the necessary new refineries and tankers arc built and in full operation. “It makes no difference to sterling economy whether its balance of requirements, which must be imported from dollar sources, is imported into New Zealand or into the United Kingdom, or any other part of the Empire. WAY TO SAVE “The only methods of saving dollars in connection with petroleum are, first, to increase production by British companies, and to restrict the present overall consumption in the sterling area until that increased production is achieved, and, secondly, to make the greatest possible economy in the use ol tankers by employing them in such a way as to achieve short hauls. Mr McGlashan said that 68 per cent of all the petrol imported into New Zealand in 1947 would be from areas in the sterling area. The entire importation of petrol so far in 1947 by the Shell Co. had been in their own British ships and a substantial proportion had not only come from sterling area sources, but actually from within the British Empire.

ROTORUA, Tue. (Sp.).—State departments in Rotorua ran

:t any more until next Monday, age of petrol in the town the L for supplying the departments vc days the entire Government i fortnight.