PETROL LICENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25561, 14 June 1944, Page 6

PETROL LICENCES

PROTEST AGAINST REVIEW LIKELIHOOD OF HARDSHIP A protest against the review of all oil fuel licences which is _ -at present being carried out by the oil fuel controllers was raised at the meeting of the executive of the Automobile-Asso-ciation (Otago) last night, and the opinion was expressed that if there were any reductions In business licences in Dunedin considerable hardship would be caused to licence holders whose livelihood depended upon the use of motor vehicles. „ , The president (Mr H. S. Reid) said it was unfair that all motorists should be penalised because of the misdeeds of a few. Those who abused their licences should be disciplined, but the law-abiding motorist should not have to suffer as the result of those abuses. He had suggested to several local organisations that concerted action should be taken in an endeavour to remedy the position. In some of the northern centres, Mr Reid continued, petrol was more liberally distributed than in Dunedin, and he felt that the cutting down of licences would impose severe hardships on many business people in this city. He was convinced that they were justified in raising their voice against the review and in making preparations to have the matter taken up in Wellington. Mr G. W. Ferens said that the Dunedin Oil Fuel Committee, of which he was a member, was having nothing to do with the review. He disagreed strongly with several contentions by the oil fuel controller (Mr G. L. Laurenson), and drew particular attention to the conditions that would arise if the prohibition of the use of business cars between the owners’ homes and places of business were enforced. The controller had said that the garaging of such cars in the city was encouraged, but a census of the principal garages in the city area in Dunedin had disclosed that there was accommodation for only 216 cars. The remainder would apparently have to be left in rthe streets, with consequent risk of loss oi damage. A large army of inspectors was in existence in the country at the present time, Mr Ferens concluded, and it should be an easy matter for them to keep a check on the use of business licences. The discussion then lapsed.