RATIONING OF PETROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24417, 1 October 1940, Page 8

RATIONING OF PETROL

GOVERNMENT CRITICISED THE MOTORISTS’ POINT OF VIEW DISCUSSION BY SOUTH ISLAND UNION As was to be expected, one of the most important matters, if not the most important, to come under discussion at the conference of the South Island Motor Union held at Christchurch on Friday last was the Government’s petrol rationing scheme Among other resolutions dealing with the subject was a remit from the Otago Automobile Association urging that further representations should bemade to the Government for a relaxation of the fuel restrictions, and the association’s case was presented by its delegate, Mr L H Mirams “Absolute Hypocrisy ” “An indisputable body of evidence is available to show that the war effort has been made the excuse for extra rationing.” Mr Mirams said. “Mr Nash

recently stated that we should have had restrictions, war or no war, and in view of this, how does he justify the argument that the present rationing to conserve stocks is a war effort' In any case, rationing should stand on its own merits, and the use of Gov-ernment-controlled radio to put out the slogan ‘ Save a coupon, save a life, is a colossal piece of impertinence and is not justified in any circumstances. It is absolute hypocrisy, and a deliberate misuse of the public s patriotic feeling.” Petrol stocks, Mr Mirams continued, were dependent on the willingness of companies to import, and with restrictions. they tended to fall off which, in fact, they did for the first eight months. The Government had done nothing to conserve stocks, despite its dramatic utterances to the contrary, and it looked as if it were attempting to, force the public to use the railways, when actually there was no cheaper way for four people to travel than by a modern saloon car. One in every five persons in the Dominion was a motorist, and since the population density was so low, and the communities so widely scattered, motor transport was essential. Ample Stocks Available Mr Mirams went on to say that notwithstanding suggestions by Ministers of the Crown, plenty of petrol was available, and there were plenty of tankers to carry it. The world was still producing more petrol than was being used under war conditions, and transport to New Zealand did not present a serious difficulty. It had to be admitted that the monetary situation was difficult and'obscure, but the motorists were not asking that more exchange should be made available. All that they wanted was that, in view of the importance of petrol to the economic life of the Dominion in tne miaintenance of its war effort, a more equitable distribution of the available exchange should be made. A study of the facts over the past 12 months must convince any impartial observer chat the Government's handling of the petrol situation had been hasty and illadvised It was difficult to understand why rationing in New Zealand should be stricter than in Britain, and why no clear reply had been given to repeated requests for information as to how much Britain desired New Zealand to restrict and whether she knew how much the Dominion was being restricted. Why was the Government deliberately clouding the issue? "The North and South Island Unions combined,” Mr Mirams concluded, “ repi'esent the interests of 100.000 motorists and electors. A large proportion of these are business people, and it is now evident that the repercussions of irrational rationing are having serious effects. We represent the interests of those members, and the time has come for us to demand a fair deal. Motoring is not some kmc. of immoral luxury, but an economical method of giving genuine pleasure to thousands of people, and m difficult times recreation and pleasure are .lust as necessary as hard work and concentration on our supreme objectivevictory.” The remit was carried.