PETROL FOR PRIVATE CARS

Southland Times, Issue 24682, 2 March 1942, Page 4

PETROL FOR PRIVATE CARS

ONE COUPON REDEEMABLE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, February 28. An allowance of petrol is to be made available for private cars during March, the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, announced today. Coupon No. 11 will be redeemable for March 1 and if petrol reserves are in a satisfactory position at the middle of the month, coupon 12 will be made available for the rest of the month. Where petrol is essential for business purposes, business car licences will be increased to bring them up to 50 per cent, of their former issue. Other commercial licences will be dealt with by the petrol advisory committees upon presentation of a satisfactory ease for an increase. 1 i “Future developments in the Pacific may at any time impel us to reduce these allowances,” said Mr Fraser. “The War Cabinet is keeping ’ the petrol situation under constant review, and subject to the safeguarding of essential reserves will release whatever petrol can be made available. Defence, essential industry and production must receive primary consideration.”

Coupons 11. 12 and 13 were originally available for December and January, but when Japan entered the war it was arranged that only coupon 11 should be used. At the end of that week, December 13, all sales of petrol for private cars were stopped. Heavy purchases were made by motorists before the interruption of sales and many private car owners used their coupons.