PETROL PRIGES.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13182, 14 February 1936, Page 5

PETROL PRIGES.

MINISTER ENDS PRICE IVAPS.

Electric Telegraph—Press Association 11 ELLINGTON. Last Night. 11l au interview to-night the Min--I!ier Industries and Commerce (Hon. D. G. Sullivan ) made the following statenieut in reference to the fixation of the wholesale and retail ™™g prices of motor spirit within Wellington city and the suburban area :

‘’The disruption pi the petrol reselling trade in Wellington due to •ndiscnminate price-cutting has engaged the attention of the G jvernaunt for the past two months. It ras Ik-,11 found upon thorough investigation that in order to make a reasonable margin ol profit available to i m the industry. both wlnilesa.c and retail, the prices should bt fixed. The means to do this lire at hand by virtue of tbe Motor Bpints <>i Prices) Ait iV33. which was passed by ibt previous Government, but under which no action has up to the present been taken. “The objection of the Laiiour Gore?mment_,'* continued the Minister •ill these matters is not to help the industry merely for the sake m helping that industry , but is to promote tile welfare and happiness of the people engaged in the mdustrv. In this direction 1 am happy to s ; ', v t | le - r ,,_ coders 111 return for a fix.-d re-sell-mg price have agreed to materially increase wages and reduce working hours and to hotter genera 11 v th? working conditions ol their employees. These new wages and conditions will commence to operate as from to-morrow, the day on which tile axed prices will Ik- in ferc-e. “lhe- main feature- of the agrvement s.gned before the toneßation *- eimniissioiier and made 1 between the employers and employees are- tbit adult employees’ wages shall be ra.se*d from £3 15s per week to t'4 lfs per week and tin- hours of work reduced from 50 hoars pel week I bonis Youths' wages have also been considerably increased. Hu fixed prices to be charged to tin* general public are lv lod per palloll tor standard grade motor spirit and Is lie; per gallon lor premium grade motor spirit, while the- maximum prices to- be e-harged liv oil companies ar. 1- 7<l am! 1- s,'| „ er gallon respectively. I i:,prices and those generally i tiling to-elae throm-h price-cutting have enable e) certain favoured customers to purchase motor spirit at lower prices This will Uo longer be allowed. In effect the prices to be paid by the ordinary motorist will remain unchanged while those engaged in th. industry are t.. receive increased wages and have- reduced working hours. I he* prices are <-t i\ being fixed bn- Wellington in th,- meantime bat it the- problem that lias existc-el here exists also in other centres 1 do not think that there will he- anv le-luc-tamo oil the- jiart of the- Government to apply a similar solution although each particular Question will bo faced as it. presents itself “ It was explained to-night that the wages increases and the reduction of working hours aiiiu uiicod in -hMonster apply only to petrol* pump attteiida.ilt> and others e-ir.plove-d ir V similar capacity in service * stations and garages. As yet no increases in flu- wages of oil company employe - Will be 11 . dc r I,'",