RATION REDUCED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26542, 18 August 1947, Page 5

RATION REDUCED

PETROL IN AUSTRALIA RESTRICTIONS ON DOLLAR EXPENDITURE CANBERRA,. Aug. 16 The Australian petrol ration will be reduced by up to 25 per cent. This was announced late last night by the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, after the Federal Cabinet had considered Britain’s economic position. Mr Chifley said Cabinet had called for a review of dollar expenditure of the following imports:—Tobacco, motion pictures, newsprint, and other less essential goods. Cabinet had decided to impose a severe ration on the use of dollars by travellers from Australia to dollar Countries, said Mr Chifley, but he did not reveal the details of this restriction. Details of the petrol cut. which will save 4,250,000 gallons of petrol a month, are: Private users and private business users, 20 to 25 per cent.? commercial users. 10 per cent.; pleasure boats. 20 to 25 per cent Austra'lia’s present consumption of petrol is about 30,000,000 gallons a month. Cabinet discussed other methods of saving dollar*, but did not reach a decision. Early this year the Australian petrol ration for private cars was 50 gallons a month. The new scale will apparently be 35 to 40 gallons.