PETROL RATIONING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27317, 17 February 1950, Page 6

PETROL RATIONING

NECESSITY QUESTIONED FULL INQUIRY SOUGHT PA WELLINGTON, Feb. 16. The North Island Motor Union is to try to meet the Prime Minister, Mr Holland, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Bowden, to discuss the question of petrol rationing. This was decided at a meeting of the council of the union today.

Because the Government had installed its petrol pumps throughout the country and had imported petrol to supply them, there was presumably at -present more petrol in New Zealand than ever before, Mr R. D. Roydhouse, of Carterton, said.

“The Government must have brought petrol in from its own sources. It would not have drawn land than ever before, Mr R. W. Roydhouse, of Carterton, said. * Urging a full inquiry into petrol sources, Mr A. Grayson (Auckland) said many people in the motor unions knew more details about the availability of petrol than did the Ministers concerned, who, he said, “ accept at face value statements made by the Home Government.”

“It would need very little petrol to abolish petrol rationing—a mere drop in the sterling petrol pool,” Mr Grayson added. He said that if all the officials engaged in petrol rationing were released to industry the country would benefit by increased production. “I feel we in New Zealand must take steps to see if it is at all possible to have rationing abolished.” said the president of the union, Mr W. B. Brown (Palmerston North). He said that in countries like Italy and Germany petrol rationing had been abolished, even though prices were high. “Rationing has been abolished in Australia, and already the leader of one party in England is talking of the easing of rationing there,” added Mr Brown.

The meeting decided that a subcommittee of the union should endeavour to meet the Prime Minister and the Minister of Industries and Commerce at an early date to discuss petrol rationing.