ARMY PETROL NEEDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24825, 27 January 1942, Page 4

ARMY PETROL NEEDS

ALLEGATIONS OF WASTE TAXI MANAGER’S COMPLAINT (Special) WELLINGTON. Jan. 26. The difficulties facing taxi-drivers in Wellington in coping with ’greatly increased business on a reduced supply of petrol were referred to by Mr W. Duncan, manager of Wellington Cooperative Taxis. He alleged wastage of petrol by the army authorities and said that it would pay the Government to take a man out of the post office and put him in charge of army transport. If that were dons, said Mr Duncan, the Government, out of the petrol it would save, could allow every taxidriver in New Zealand another 20 gallons a month. In support of his allegation of wastage of petrol by the army, Mr Duncan said that at a service in the Town Hall at New Year nine military officers had attended. “They each had a car,” he said. “ They may have bean their own cars, but they all had petrol to attend this service.” From his office window at Courtenay place he had a good view of the road, and the number of army trucks going round only a-quarter loaded was, he declared, scandalous. Only that afternoon he had seen a big army truck having as its sole load a perambulator. It was the rule rather than the exception to see army trucks being driven with only one passenger. These vehicles were usually driven by youths who often took no notice of the traffic lights, but sailed gaily on. “We don’t mind suffering a bit to win the war,” he said, “ but when we see waste of petrol like that it makes our blood boil.”