PETROL RATIONING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23774, 30 September 1940, Page 9

PETROL RATIONING

Sir, —Inconsistencies in the rationing of petrol arc often so unfair that they tend to irritate the person dependent on a libei'al quota of petrol for a livelihood. One such anomaly came to my attention to-day, and the linfairness of it suggests the position should be readjusted. Five young men in the Royal New Zealand Air Force hired a car at New Plymouth, and drove to Auckland, planning to return 011 Friday. 'Tho petrol allowance for the rental car for four days was 64 gallons. The car averages about 20 miles to the gallon, and tho trip will' result in the consumption of about 24 gallons, leaving them roughly 40 gallons for other running about. This, 1 claim, constitutes unessential motoring. Train and bus sen,-ices are available which could have been used, if it is definitely necessary for petrol to be conserved. On the other hand, the generosity of the allowance makes' me blanch, when I compare it with my own of 34 gallons for a month —not for four days. And even 'then, I. am unable to cover 900 miles of my. territory, which before the war was about 1100 miles. Moreover, my ration was recently reduced from 52 gallons, which makes tlib parallel even more difficult to appn*ciate. Commercial Traveller.