NOT POSSIBLE IN MEANTIME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 29 November 1945, Page 4

NOT POSSIBLE IN MEANTIME

EXTRA PETROL RATION (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington. This Day. It was not possible in the meantime to make any general relaxation in petrol rationing, said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Sullivan) in the House of Representatives in a reply to a question of which notice had been given previously by Mr A. S. Sutherland (National, Hauraki). Shortly after the cessation of fighting with Germany, said the Minister, the overseas supply authorities increased New Zealand’s annual quota of petrol supplies and it had remained unchanged. Since VJ-Day, said Mr Jones, the primary reasons for preventing a higher rntion were that there were insufficient sources of petroleum at present in the sterling area to meet the Empire’s requirements, and because there wore insufficient sterling tankers available. Owing to the present shortage of dollar funds in Empire countries, the British Government had requested New Zealand and other Dominions to restrict petrol consumption to present levels meanwhile. As to a reported statement that extra gallonagc would have been granted to the president of the Wellington and District Freezing Workers’ Union, that, said the Minister, would be correct only if the petrol were necessary to enable him to carry out his duties and alternative transport facilities were not reasonably available. That policy applied to all essential transport.