PETROL RATION

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4536, 13 February 1942, Page 4

PETROL RATION

INCREASES ANNOUNCED PRIVATE COUPONS LIKELY MINISTERIAL STATEMENT The Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, announced in the House of Representatives last night that if the present petrol position continued satisfactorily it would be possible to make some allowance to private car owners in March, but a further statement in this connection would be made at an early date. A partial restoration of petrol allowances for industrial purposes was also announced by the Minister. The restoration is to be on a percentage basis, subject to adjustment in special cases. The main increases, which will come into operation on Monday, are as follows: PARTIAL RESTORATION Licensed public passenger transport, privately-owned business trucks, and non-vehicle users of petrol will have restored half the amount by which their licenses were cut in December. Rental cars will have half of the former ration. Where a license for a business car was altogether eliminated, 25 per cent of the former ration will now be granted. Single shift taxis will receive an additional 25 gallons a month, making their monthly ration up to 100 gallons, and taxis working double shifts will have their licenses increased by 40 gallons to a total of 160 gallons a month. Holders of licenses should present them to the nearest sub-district oil fuel controller for adjustment. STOCKS BUILT UP ‘ Petrol stocks in the Dominion have now been built up so that it is possible for the War Cabinet to allow for increased consumption,” Mr Sullivan said; “but if the position deteriorates it will be necessary to revert to the former rationing scale. “ The Government will release every gallon qf petrol that can be released without jeopardising the safety of the country, but it will be compelled rigorously to safeguard existing resources if there appears to be any doubt at any time about supplies baing received from overseas.” CONTROLLED BY BRITAIN The Minister explained that, the amount of petrol available for New Zealand for the greater period of the war had been determined by the British Government, by whom the situation had been controlled, and various requests for a larger quota had not been met. Following the outbreak of war with Japan all the tankers scheduled to deliver petrol to the Dominion were either cancelled or no information could be obtained concerning them. In view of the intensified threat to the security of the country, the War Cabinet had felt obliged to take more drastic action to conserve supplies by reducing the output by 2,500,000 gallons a month. No reduction had been made in the allocation to the Army reserve. NO RESTRICTION ON IMPORTS “ The Government had placed no restriction on the importation of petrol into this country,” said Mr Sullivan, “ and the five petrol companies have repeatedly been asked to arrange for the importation of as much petrol as could possibly be secured. They cooperated whole-heartedly with us in obtaining all the petrol possible. If more petrol had been distributed than actually was it could only have been done at the expense of dur national security.” Replying to an urgent question by Mr J. Hodgens (Government, Palmerston North), the Minister said that no final policy ' had yet been determined in regard to petrol for horsefloats, and in the meantime the factor governing any decisions had been the fact that these machines might be required by the military for the defence of the country in case of emergency. Some petrol had meantime been made available for the industry.