REDUCED STAFFS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 217, 12 September 1940, Page 3

REDUCED STAFFS.

IN MOTOR TRADE. PETROL RATIONING'S EFFECT. The serious effect the present petrol restrictions are having upon the motor trade was stressed this morning at a meeting of representatives of employees of the associated motor trades in Auckland, when a petition containing 1140 signatures of employees praying for an increase in the petrol allowance was before the meeting. Mr. J. C. Kay presided. It was explained by the meeting that while the employees in the motor trade were definitely and wholeheartedly behind the Government in its war effort, it was felt that the trade had had more than its share of restrictions, with the result that hundreds of employees had been dispensed with and in one instance a firm had reduced its staff by 100. •Speakers quoted the allowances of petrol in Great Britain and Anstralia, where the restrictions were not nearly so severe as in New Zealand, and it was stated that because of the small allowance—based upon 150 miles per month— the motor trade had been dealt a crushing blow. Compared with normal times, when there was no restriction upon petrol, sales had now fallen by something like 85 per cent, and people would not purchase cars while the travelling mileage was limited to 150 miles per month, which was not enough to enable a car to make the return trip from Auckland to Hamilton.

To give an idea of the disastrous effect the petrol restrictions had upon the trade, one speaker quoted the months of October and November of last year. In October when the restrictions operated his firm's used car sales were five, but in November when the restrictions were temporarily lifted the sales were 81. To-day staffs were being reduced drastically. The meeting decided that a letter be forwarded to the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, and the Minister of Supplies, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, pointing out the serious effect of the present petrol allowance upon the motor trade and praying for an increase. A copy of the letter is to be forwarded to all Auckland members of Parliament.