LOSS OF TRADE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 60, 8 September 1939, Page 5

LOSS OF TRADE

FEARS FOR WHAKATANE GARAGE STAFFS DISMISSED The worst effect of the petrol ban is the immediate reduction in staffs it has entailed. Practically every I business connected with the motor I trade will now be at a standstill, and sta. ft s are being" drastically cut down. Tlic effect that this will have' on Whakatane is obvious, for it means an immediate loss of pur. chasing power, and possibly increased loading on to the State Social Security scheme.

The motor dealer is a troubled man,. In at least one case a man who was buying a car on terms told lite garage owner that he expected to be called up before long. He had decided to pay nothing further on his but to save every penny so that he would have something to leave with his Avife. What did the dealer intend to do? The dealer didn't want the. car. "Keep it old man," he said. "Pay for it after the Avar/' SMALL CENTRES MAX GAIN. There seems no doubt that trade Avill be lost by Whakatane shopkeepers arid gained by those in the smaller centres. One woman shopper from the country told a Wliakatahe businessman this week that it would be the last time she shopped in Wha katane for some time, as she had re« ceived a perrrilt for only one gallon of petrol a. Aveek. She lives just over four miles from a toA\ r nship and must draAV her supplies there, so that she Avill be unable to visit Whakatane, at least In her OAvn car. Those on service car routes have been refused petrol permits and it may be that many people will not be eager to come into tftnvn under these conditions. They Avill ly not be able to cdVne to Whakaitane in the -evenings'to go to tihe pictures. '

Doubtless the old buggy has been inspected by those farmers who still possess one, and it may soon be a common sight again to sec The Strand lined with traps and carts instead of streamlined cars. With this in view the borough council might' consider including the cost of installing hitching rails in its loan proposal. DODGING RESTRICTIONS. . Of course there are some "wise guys'' who claim that they can evade the proposals and get sufficient pet, rol to run their cars on restricted jaunts. Putting aside the question of disloyalty to the country at a time of crisis, those who manage to "milk** lorries for private car use or get petrol in some other way will no doubt find themselves very conspicuous in a small centre like this. People during war time do some fiinny things, apd a man who runs his car over, to Ohope on a few Sundays may find eventually that something has happened to it when ho comes out from his bathe. It must also be remembered thaarrangements have been made with the traffic-controlling authorities to check up from time to time and as. certain whether vehicles on the road are. being used for the purpose for which petrol licences were granted.