CARS FOR EMERGENCY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4528, 26 January 1942, Page 5

CARS FOR EMERGENCY

IN ROAD-WORTHY CONDITION THE NEED FOR PETROL Many motorists are concerned about the possibility of their cars getting out of order through lying idle in the garages owing to the petrol restrictions, and the suggestion has been made m Te Awamutu that representations be sent to the Government to obtain a small monthly issue of benzine in order that the vehicles may be kept “ tuned up.” In support it is pointed out that many cars would be needed in the event of an emergency arising, and •ehat they would be available at a moment’s notice only if maintained in a road-worthy condition. COUPONS FOR E.P.S. The Mayor of. Wellington (Mr T. A. Hislop) has already taken up the idea, and he suggested to the Government that an allocation of one gallon be allowed, but he confined his proposal to cars to be used for E.P.S. purposes. On Saturday Mr R. Semple, as Minister of National Service, announced that the Government .had adopted the suggestion in regard to the E.P.S. He said two-gallon sealed tins of petrol would be delivered to owners of cars selected for use to enable cars to be driven to the ‘source of the main supply, which would be made available through the use of special blue coupons .marked “emergency coupon.” “These coupons will be distributed to chairmen of E.P.S. organisations,” Mr Semple said. “ Each chairman will receive a number of coupons in proportion to the number of vehicles in his area, and will be responsible for distributing them to the heads of the various services in the organisation, such as medical, first aid, demolition, communication services, etc. “Each service will have a depot where coupons can be delivered to a man called out for a job, When he arrives to collect his coupons the .ainourd_ of petrol in his tank will be checked, and he will be given coupons for an additional amount sufficient for the running required. He will get that, and no more. “Arrangements have now been made to keep the batteries of'the cars concerned charged, so that the vehicles will be usable at all times,” concluded the Minister. “ The Government’s aim is to have work done by electricity rather than by running engines, as we produce the power required in the country,” AUSTRALIAN PROPOSAL Ths Prime Minister of the Australian Commonwealth announced last week that within the next few days he wotild discuss with the minister for Supply (Mr Beasley) suggestions tfyat car registration fees and insurance charges be reduced to induce private motorists to keep their cars in running order and ready for national emergency. Although it contemplates further cuts in the private petrol'ration, the Federal Government is anxious that as many private cars as possible be kept in road-worthy condition.