RETAIL PRICE OF PETROL

Southland Times, Issue 24357, 11 February 1941, Page 4

RETAIL PRICE OF PETROL

Desire For Uniform Basis In N.Z.

A suggestion that the retail price oi petrol be placed on a uniform basis throughout New Zealand was considered last night at a meeting of the Automobile Association (Southland). Mr M. M. Macdonald presided. A report was presented by a special sub-committee, stating that the matter originated in a letter from Dr C. C. Anderson, who claimed that there were inconsistencies in the price of petrol at Gore in relation to the price at Invercargill. The retail price at Invercargill was 2/7:7 and at Gore it was 2/BJ.

“The committee has made exhaustive inquiries into the prices of petrol in various places throughout New Zealand, including Gore, and is of the opinion that an effort should be made to secure a uniform price for petrol throughout New Zealand, so that motorists in those parts of the country most distant from the ports shall pay the same price for petrol as in the four main centres," stated the report. “The committee feels that the effect of this would be a more even distribution of business throughout the community, and also a more equitable adjustment of expense to the consumer, and would result in the discontinuance of the undesirable practice of carrying loose petrol in cars. “In the dairying industry transport charges are pooled, so that all suppliers to the larger factories pay the same price a can for transport, irrespective of their distance from the factory. “This, in the opinion of the committee, shows that a workable plan can be evolved for selling petrol at a standard price. In conclusion, the committee is of opinion that the fact that petrol is delivered to Gore in different ways proves that the cost to the consumer cannot be computed on a fair basis. It must be borne in mind that the retailers’ profit throughout New Zealand is already standardized at 3d a gallon.”

“It is certainly an anomaly that petrol in Gore should be retailed at a higher rate than in Invercargill,” said Mr D. J. Wesney. It was decided to obtain the views of two northern associations and to bring the matter up for discussion at the next meeting.