Petrol Shortage Disrupts Mails

Northern Advocate, 21 October 1949, Page 5

Petrol Shortage Disrupts Mails

SYDNEY. Fri. (11 a.m.)—The petrol shortage is interfering with the delivery of country mails, but so far no complete stoppage has occurred. In some districts, children have been prevented from attending school, since buses are out of petrol. The Premier of New South Wales (Mr McGirr) has ordered Government departments to reduce petrol consumption by at least a half. Mr F F Kraegen. manager of the Associated County Sawmillers. said that 30.000,000 ft of building timber, sufficient for 6000 homes, were lying at New South Wales timber mills and railway sidings, because haulers had no petrol to transport it. Some of the big mills would close down today, at a time when timber was needed more than ever. . AGREEMENT BROKEN

In Canberra, the Prime Minister (Mr Chifley) said that oil companies had oversold petrol, despite the gentlemen’s agreement not to do so. Commonwealth Oil Refineries. Ltd., Ije said, was the worst offender of all. The Commonwealth held the majority of shares in this company, but had no control over the management or administration.

Controlling power was held by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. The company had shown that it was not prepared to assist the Government to conserve petrol stocks. An oil company spokesman replied that Mr Chifley's request to the companies to restrict sales was prior to the introduction of the legislation by which he froze 50,000,000 gallons of petrol for defence purposes.