CONSERVING PETROL SUPPLIES

Southland Times, Issue 24161, 25 June 1940, Page 9

CONSERVING PETROL SUPPLIES

REDUCED CONSUMPTION URGED,

(United Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, June 24.

“Everyone who saves a gallon of petrol or even half a gallon is contributing something towards winning this war,” said the Minister of National Security, (the Hon. R. Semple) in the course of an address to the council of the Automobile Association this morning. “I am not asking people to stick their cars in the garage, but just to cut out needless running and reduce petrol consumption to a minimum,” he said. “We want to save everything we can without causing panic or stagnation.

“There is no need for me to enlarge on the gravity of the situation overseas,” declared Mr Semple. “The question of petrol supplies is something over which we have no control. We can only get petrol when it can be sent here and when there is some to send. Tire position is one that forces us to think not every hour of the day but every minute of the day, because the scene is changing hourly. We don’t want to be left in a position of not having any petrol here or only a very low percentage if we should have to defend these shores. The situation depends entirely on the sea and we are today definitely in the danger zone. Mines were laid round our coast, and to what extent these mines have been laid no one knows in New Zealand. We have been trying to develop our air force to give us some protection if we should be called on to defend the country, so that we have to conserve enough petrol to defend ourselves if raids should come here.”