Inadequate Petrol Licenses?

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 27, 5 March 1948, Page 5

Inadequate Petrol Licenses?

Beacon’s Investigations Find Ground For Groans In spite of the belief expressed by the postmaster, Mr W. A. Trask, the other day that the motoring public as a whole seemed quite satisfied with the petrol allocations granted, there appears to be a good deal of dissatisfaction around the town. A certain amount of grumbling was to be expected, but some of the cases mentioned to the Beacon seem to show real grounds for adjustment.

Take the Herd Improvement Association, for instance. On Tuesday, following, a whisper from a farmer who thought the testers had been given rather a raw deal, the Beacon approached Mr R. Tooke, at the testing depot at Edgecumbe. He said the position was pretty grim. It seems the testers played the game according to the rules and applied for the bare minimum on which they could do their work. The authorities chopped it in half, according to Mr Tooke, and he describes the position now as “impossible.” ■ The licenses will last about ten days, he claims. Needs 90, Gets 25 “Where we used to used to get through approximately 90 gallons we now have to exist on 25 and this means we will only be able to work two days a week. Our districts cover Waimana, .Galatea, Opotiki and the Rangitaiki Plains and if we don’t get an increase in our allocation we cannot give the same serviee to our clients,” said a member of a machinery repair firm when asked about his firm’s allowance. He added, “We are quite satisfied that our license will be increased when our appeal comes before the authorities.” An Ohope business man who handles a considerable volume of perishable goods said his application for a licence for enough petrol to allow him to make one trip a day to Whakatane was refused and he has to try and make a medium car allowance cover his daily trip to town, but if he were to obtain a small truck he believes he could get a ration of 35 gallons a month. “Tougher Than War”

“Tougher than , wartime rationing,” was the way a tradesman described today’s system. He applied for a license. Get no results. Has over two miles to go to work. Doesn’t own a bicycle. Had a license right through wartime restrictions. Feels bitter. / A business executive who lives at Ohope and has to use his car in connection wdth business, as well as to travel five miles to -his office, applied for enough to get him to work and allow him five miles of running a day for his business—considerably less than his usual running, but he felt he could cut it to that. He got a license that allows him no business running whatever, and not enough to get to and from work at times that he cannot make fit the bus schedule. The Brighter Side “Surely there is a brighter side to the picture,” thought the Beacon’s reporter. He canvassed the town for half an hour, determined to < find someone who was satisfied. He'did, more or less. A firm of land agents said they were quite satisfied with the quota so far, but .they, had as yet had very little running about to do, and until they had given it a fair trial they were reserving their opinion.