PIETROL PUMPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21984, 20 June 1933, Page 7

PIETROL PUMPS

THE PROPORTION TO CARS ECONOMIC ASPECT DISCUSSED. (Peb United Peess Association.) WELLINGTON, June 19. The economic aspects of the number of petrol pumps within- a country were briefly discussed before the Tariff Commission to-day when Mr K. Pallo, on behalf of Messrs Pallo, Ltd., sought protection to enable his firm to manufacture these pumps. Professor Murphy asked the witness how many pumps there were at present in New Zealand and whether he did not think that the country already had enough pumps. Mr Pallo replied that there were about 7000 pumps installed in the Dominion. Professor Murphy: Is not this country already over-supplied with pumps? There is not likely to be a demand for new ones. Mr Pallo: That is the general opinion. He stated that the official French publication on weights and measures had shown the number of pumps in New Zealand at 7000 and the number of cars at 200,000. That meant that there ,was a pump to every 27 cars. Professor Murphy; Is not that an excessive waste? Mr Pallo said that the number of cars per pump in England was 22 and in Prance 25. In Belgium it was 11 and in Switzerland nine. Professor Murphy: Is that not highly uneconomic? I want to tell you what is in my mind. Our figures are uneconomic, but the figures of those countries are even more so. I should say that one pump to every 200 vehicles would be sufficient. Anyhow it would bo a fair thing if the number of cars per pump was over 100. Mr Pallo said that a pump cost £IOO to install and it generally lasted for 10 years.