PETROL SITUATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 24, 4 March 1942, Page 2

PETROL SITUATION

HELEASKD BY

THE N.Z. MOTOR

I RADK FEDERATION

When Paris was threatened in tin? first battle of the Marne. the French High Command requisitioned the taxi cabs of Paris for the purpose of rushing troops up to the front

line, and a- a result Paris was saved. One of these taxi -cabs was placed in the Military Museum at the Invalides in Paris, thereby paying tribute to the fact that by the' use of these extremely mobile taxi cabs one of the greatest crisis of the Great War was successfully overcome. The New Zealand Motor Trade Federation views with satisfaction the release of sufficient petrol to enable the partial restoration of licenses for industrial purposes and already the motor industry has I'elt Ihe benefit of the release of 'this petrol and it is evident that production, both primary and secondary, has been speeded up as a result. The Minister promised that, provided the petrol position continued satisfactorily, it "would be possible lo make some allowance to owners of prvale vehicles in March, and motorists are anxiously awaiting a further statement in regard to this important matter. A few people have seen tit to criticise the promise of the Minister! (o release petrol Cor private vehicles as soon as the stock position justified a release. Some of this criticism has been based on either ignorance or laok of ability to appreciate the value of the private motor vehicle lo the national security of the Dominion. There are over 2(17,000 private motor vehicles in the Dominion,. and many of these have, been immobilised since December. Unless petrol is made available to put these vehicles on the road in March, many of them will not be able to I unction under their' own power. The Federation can quote a case where twenty vehicles were stored away in, December and not' moved until seme time in the middle of i'Y'bi'ua: y. When an attempt was made to start these vehicles under their own power, only two out of i!;e twenty would siarl; eighteen out of the twenty were; completely immobilised by two months of inaotion. The suggestion that motor vehicles can be kept in a state of mobility merely by a battery service at six weeks periods, indicates a complete lack of appreciation of the position .';nd the Motor Trade has never at any time stated its agreement with 1-1,1 e suggestion that motor vehicles

nan be kept completely mobile wit this partial service.

It will be considered by all that the orivate motor vehicle is an adjunct of'the Home Guard and the E.P.S., and both of these valuable sections, "f our national life will be circumscribed unless the private motor vehicle is mobile and available to give them the necessary assistance. Australia has announced the following' petrol ration lor the months of February and March: 8 h.p. car, 3j gallons for two monthsly period; 10 !'■]>•) -1 gallons; 11 h.p., 5 gallons; 20 h.p., (5 gallons; 30 h.p., 8 gallons; over 10 li.p., 9 gallons. <s» Surely no one can suggest that New Zealand is in a less advantageous position than Australia in reference to supplies of petrol. Great Britain has recently announced the ration in England based on 150 miles per month for the private motor vehicle. It is evident that New Zealand will be in good company in issuing sufficient petrol ot the owner of the private motor vehicle to enable the vehicle to be kept mobile and available at nil times. When the foregoing facts are given impartial consideration, it Avill Ibe evident that in the national in- | terests it is essential that a sufficient | supply of petrel be made available to the owners of private vehicles at the earliest possible moment and ' hope, that the Government will make i an early pronouncement in regard i to this matter. I