PETROL AND OIL.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20247, 16 July 1937, Page 3

PETROL AND OIL.

MEASURES FOR WARTIME. COMMITTEE’S INVESTIGATIONS. GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION. Measures to make New Zealand prepared for another war, which might cripple import and export trade, were discussed in an interview given to a Christchurch paper by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. lie dealt particularly with the work of the Government body known as the Organisation for National Security in considering how the Dominion’s supply of petrol and oil could be maintained in tlie event of imports ceasing or becoming spasmodic. “We arc not thinking that there may be a war, but the Government lias to take stock beforehand and lie prepared,” he said. Various departmental committees had been lak’ng count of slocks and resources, just as was being done in Great Britain. The special organisation had been in operation for the past two or three years, representing twenty Government departments, investigating the question of supplies for the public as well as for the army. Rationing of Supplies. The Government mult know, he said, what could be done in the way of rationing oil and pclvl supplies, and in I tie production of oil. The problem was being dealt with by the Minister of Scientific and Industrial Research (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb), and a sub-committee. Discussing exports, the Minister said that is was possible for tlie freezing works to stop killing mutton, lamb and beef, but the supply of dairy produce could not be checked. A survey was therefore being made of. refrigerating space available to see to what extentbutler could he stored until such time as export trade was resumed. Giber committees set up dealt with communications, cable services, manpower, shipping and meteorological services. New Zealand’s annual petrol importation averages between 75,000,000 and 80,000,000 gallons, and storage is available at present for about 20,000,000 gallons, with additional storage now in tlie process of construction for a further C.,000,000 gallons. With these facilities stocks would he exhausted in 12 or 13 weeks.