PETROL RATION

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21653, 13 February 1942, Page 2

PETROL RATION

RESTORATIONS MADE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES PRIVATE CARS MAY BENEFIT (By Telegraph.—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Thursday The Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, announced in the House of Representatives tonight that if the present petrol position continued satisfactorily it would be possible to make some allowance to private car owners in March. A further statement in this connection would be made at an early date. The Minister also announced a partial restoration of petrol allowances for industrial purposes. 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: Buses and Business Trucks 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 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. Control 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 concez’ning them. In view of the intensfied 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. “ The Government has 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 whole-heartedly cooperated 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 our national security.” Replying to an urgent question by Mr J. Hodgens (Government —Palmerston North), the Minister said that no final policy had been determined in regard to petrol for horse floats, and in the meantime the factor governing any decisions had been the fact that these machines might be required by the military for tne defence of the country in cake of emergency. Some petrol had meantime been made available for the industry.