“Gas” Rationing Back Again

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 22, 17 February 1948, Page 5

“Gas” Rationing Back Again

Decision Accepted Here As Quite Inevitable

Reaction of motorists. around town to the announcement that petrol restrictions are again to be with us ranges from profanity to good-natured resignation. Few seem to favour the idea, some condemn it, and most accept it as inevitable. Said one, “This isn’t news. I knew .it when the Government first started -denying it months ago. They always deny anything unpleasant before they do it.” Another comment: “Bah!” Apparently it hits him where it ■hurts. In official circles, there was nothing to add to the Minister’s statement on Sunday night that coupons and special licenses would be re-in-troduced on March 1. He said coupons would be available for distribution after tomorrow. The Post Office * is to issue coupons and licenses, but the values are to be determined by • the Transport Department. At the moment neither the Minister, the Oil Fuel Controller, nor anyone else, is prepared to say what the values of the coupons will be, though the Controller is reported as having said twelve, nine and six gallons would be “not a bad guess.” Local petrol re-sellers were not kicking about the previous system *of allocation. “It suited country towns alright,” said one, He considered the trouble with rationing through petrol stations was in the ‘ cities. Transport Department Traffic Inspector K. R. McD. Sharpe said he was not in. a position to make any statement for publication, though he agreed that rationing through resellers had appeared to work well enough in this 1 district. The Postmaster, Mr W. A. Trask, had no comment to make, and said there was no information to hand yet with specific local application. • Lacking official amplification of something that concerns the motoring public very deeply, the Beacon set about trying to find out what the motoring public thinks. The general opinion the one • expressed by Mr W. Sullivan, M.P.: '“Well, Britain asked for a 10 per cent, reduction.” I There were a few like the disgruntled citizen who said “Bah!” Some of their comments were wordier, but most of their misgivings seemed to be based on purely selfish considerations. Farming types took the “aid to Britain” line in the main, and seemed quite prepared to co-operate, but . did stress .the hope that whoever was issuing the licenses would look to the production as well as the dol-lar-saving end of helping Britain.' They pointed out that adequate supplies of “gas” are important in the drive for production.