PETROL SHORTAGE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14607, 17 May 1918, Page 7

PETROL SHORTAGE.

AN ARTIFICIAL SCARE

(Special to the Herald.) ' WELLINGTON, this day. Investigations :of 'tho petrol shortage undertaken';' here show that the imports appear to be m excess of previous years, enabling supplies to be fully maintained for increased numbers of vehicles. 'It 1 is •" sliggelt^id that, having regard to the prices charged by importers, best motor spirit being 25s ex store, Wellington, the exorbitant figures re^ ported from other parts, of New Zealand are not warranted. The steps taken to economise the use, of motor, spirit have caused some persons to liq'ard; One big firm, which actively assisted the authorities iv economising^ unwittingly caused a scare by refusing orders to new customers, and advising garages only to sell one tin at a time. Iho 'Board of Trado is' reporting, shortly on supplies.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 17. There has been considerable talk of , a gasoline shortage m this country on account of ' tho war, but' all stiibh talk has .been laid "at the door 61 the German propagandists, who arc doing their ut- ! most to ruin every industry and activity m tho country. "This sort of talk is not only unfounded but harmful to the automotive industry," says F. L. Dv Broy, head of the Dv Broy Motor Company. ! "There is no shortage of gasoline j ' m fact, thei'e is an overproduction of nearly 1,000,000 gallons a day, and the fuel administration is urging us to drive onr motor-cars all we can and to use all tho gasoline we can. This overproduction, is the by-product of tho fuel oil. which wo are compelled, to make m vast quantities for our ships and locomotives. I . ''It is oven predicted that tho price of gasoline will bo reduced because of this over-supply. I hope that this is > true, for the motor-car is so much a > business vehicle now that its use is indispensable to the wholn world."