SCHEME FOR SAVING PETROL

Southland Times, Issue 24651, 24 January 1942, Page 6

SCHEME FOR SAVING PETROL

TRANSPORT OF STOCK The committee set up to organize the buying and transport of fat stock, with a view to conserving petrol has held another meeting. Meetings of stock drafters have been held at Otautau, Winton, Lumsden, Wyndham, Gore, Heriot and Invercargill. Reports from all these meetings are very encouraging. The drafters have agreed to co-operate to avoid overlapping if possible and do the work on the reduced amount of petrol. An indication of the saving of petrol by railing instead of lorrying stock was given in a report from the Railways Department, showing an increase of 150 per cent, in the number of deckers supplied for fat stock carriage for the second week of January as against the firstweek. The support given to the railways in the Eastern District is not quite so good as in the Southern and Western Districts.

Mr W. Young and Mr Guy Chewings, both of Mossbum, stated that the train arrangements were not suitable for the Mossburn district. The deputation was advised that the Railways Department was prepared to run special trains whenever sufficient stock were available. LICENCES TO BE ISSUED The Oil Fuel Controller advised that petrol consumption must be reduced by 50 per cent, and in order to keep a check on consumption it has been decided to issue special licences for the cartage of fat stock only to works or rail. It Was decided in the meantime not to fix definite areas within which stock must be railed. In some cases undue hardship might be caused because of labour and other causes, but buyers were instructed to inform farmers to support the railways to the fullest extent. The majority of farmers were quite willing to do this. If this support was not obtained voluntarily specified distances would have to be defined. A check is being made from the lorry consignment notes of trips made by lorries to see that lorry owners do not use their reduced amount of petrol in running in competition with the railways. Any owner running short of petrol because of competition with the railways is liable to have his petrol allocation further reduced.