PETROL PROFITS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 46, Issue 14128, 28 May 1920, Page 2

PETROL PROFITS.

Figures disclosed recently possiblj throw a little light oil the final destination of petrol profits. The spirit, the London Daily Mail is informed, conies into England' at Is 9kl per gallon, including the (id tax. It is sold by retailers at 3s Old per gallon. Some are willing to sell at 2 S 10d, but they allege that the petrol companies threatened to cut off their supplies is the full retail price of 3s Old is not demanded. Why? The following shows how trie price of petrol between the wholesaler and the retailer and the public has grown in five years: — 1914.—Wholesaler to retailer, Is 6d per gallon; retailer to consumer, is 9d a gallon; retail profit, 3d a gallon. 2919. —Wholesaler to retailer, 2s 8d per gallon; retailer to consumer, 3s 04d per gallon; retail profit, 4id per gallon. __ Thus, while the retailer has a nO per cent increase, the wholesaler has put up the charge over 75 per cent against the retailer, resulting in the public paying Is per gallon more than it did five years ago. Wholesalers are understood to pay Is 9M per gallon for their petrol. Allowing 4d per gallon for distribution charges, it would appear, failing a definite statement which thev decline to give, that their profit is about Cd per gallon, or a total profit of £6,250,000 on 250,000,000 gallons of petrol distributed in England. The question of the price of petrol is to be raised in the House of Commons. Lieu-tenant-Commander Cliilcott has given notice to ask the President of the Board of Trade “if he will give the average selling price of petrol per gallon in tins to the public in November, 1918 May, 1919, and at the present time; and" whether the Government will take steps, by control or other means, to reduce the present price of this fuel, which to-day is inflating the cost of transport."