TYRE SUPPLIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 23 June 1943, Page 5

TYRE SUPPLIES

ESSENTIAL HEAVY TRANSPORT CAR OWNERS’ PERMITS Important changes in the granting of permits for car tyres were announced last night by the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr Sullivan, who also reviewed the situation in regard to the supply of motor car and truck tyres. He said that as a result of the visit of Mr H. G. Miller to America, England, and Australia, on the authority of the War Cabinet, and the resultant negotiations overseas on behalf of the Government, the truck tyre position was definitely improved though, of course, the necessity for the utmost conservation of tyres was of paramount importance. However, stocks on hand and coming forward were expected to be sufficient for the maintenance of essential heavy transport in the Dominion. “The position in regard to new car tyres, however, is still most difficult,” said the Minister, “and it will not be possible for any increase to be made in the present quotas for vehicles coming within the eligibility list. It has not been possible to meet the required number of permits in some districts out of each month’s quota, so that an extension of the scope of the present eligibility list is out of the question. Nevertheless, the shortage in the car field has been relieved considerably by an increase made in the quota for B grade retreads made from reclaim rubber now being manufacutred in the Dominion from scrap rubber collections. Further relief to essential car users may be made possible through the local manufacture by a new process of tyres reconstructed from salvage tyres.

The car position was summarised by the Minister as follows: —

Permits for new car tyres will continue to be granted only to persons coming within the eligibility list, except that, should the quota in any particular area be satisfied, tyres left over in that month will be available to holders of petrol licenses who are engaged in essential work but who do not qualify under the eligibility list. The prospects of relief under this heading, however, are very slight, and it is likely that only a small proportion of oil fuel license-holders not on the eligibility list will secure new tyres.

The main alteration in the administration of the rubber tyre position is in the field of retreads. Under the new procedure persons on the eligibility list will no longer automatically qualify for A-grade retreads where retreading of the tyres is possible. These persons will continue to secure retreading permits, but it will be at the discretion of the lpcal oil fuel committees which also are the local tyre advisory committees as to whether A or B grade retreads are granted. Applicants who would prefer permits for “reconstructed” tyres should specify this in their applications. In arriving at the decisions as to whether A or B grade retreads are granted local committees will take into consideration the extent of the applicant’s petrol license and the class of roads usually traversed by the applicant. It should therefore now be possible to grant permits to most holders of oil fuel licenses to have their tyres either retreaded or “reconstructed.”

All car owners, whether holders of special oil fuel licenses or not are still entitled to apply for permits for used tyres. As previously, however, applicants must still first locate the necessary tyres before applying for a permit which will then be readily granted. The maximum price for second-hand tyres remains fixed by the Price Tribunal at 50 per cent, of the new tyre value of equivalent size and type. “The position then,” concluded Mr Sullivan, “is that we are hoping that the retreading and ‘reconstructing’ should enable us to get out of the recent difficulties in regard to essential motorists who could not be included in the eligibility list because of the shortage of new tyres but whose work was, nevertheless, in the essential class. “The important point which I would like to stress is that oil fuel license holders can keep their on the road by watching their tyres carefully and availing themselves of the retreading or reconstructing facilities before their tyres get beyond the retreading stage. “Unfortunately I can hold out little prospect in the immediate future of new car tyres being made available generally to motorists not on the eligibility list. While I appreciate that in some cases this is going to mean hardship, nevertheless, the rubber position is still very grave and we will, perforce, have to make the best of the arrangements which I have outlined above. However, the main point is that we are now quite hopeful of being able to keep all essential cars on the road under the above arrangements.”