MOTORISTS ANNOYED

Chronicle (Levin), 27 September 1947, Page 5

MOTORISTS ANNOYED

(N.Z.P.A,

— Reuter *

Britain's Petrol Abolition Brings Protests

Copyright)

Received Friday, 7 p.m. LOXDON, Sspt. 25. The rising tide of resentment against the British Government decision to abolish the basic petrol ration after October 1 is becoming increasingly evidetLt as ' that date draws nearer. A wide vaviety of organisations throughout the country is holding what amounl to- indignation meetings. It is plain from the . many protests and spate of letters published by the newspapers that people in every walk of life expeet to be direetly affeeted. They range from ex-servicemen who in vested their gratuities in garages, men and women who foresee hardship and irritating complications in getting to and from work every' day, football elubs which see prospeets of their win ter sjiorts fading, racehorse owners and the race-going public., to churehgoers, women who have , to shop in' remote country districts, and motor-cycle clubs who fear that their sport will end abruptly. Alr. Attlce has already been approached on the subject once by motor ing organisations and his reply, which was apparently niisinterpreted, gavo rise to a week-end feeling of relief that the rationing might not be so severe after all, mingled with the charg-e that the Labour Government was only filaying at imposing the ration. It wa? hastily pointed out, however, that all that Alr. Attlee had said was that people living in areas without transport I'aeilities and others with special needs, would lie able to get allowanees on '.ompassionate grounds as tliev did during tlie war. Arotorists, it was emphasised, could expect no restoration ot basic petrol before next July at the very earliest. » To express public feeling in all parts jf tlie country, a joint standing committee of the Automobile Association, Royal Automobile Club and Royal Scottish Automobile Club, have decidecl uO organise a petition to Parliament foi the retenton of basic petrol. They will also send ATr. Attlee proposals which they claim will achreve the necessarv economies without the abolition of the ration. The English Football Association Racehorse Owners' Association, and four hundred motor-cycle clubs are among the various organisations also protesting. The Association of Chamoers of Commerce has urged Afr. Attlee iO reconsider his decision and has com" putod that the Exchequer will lose near

Iv £17,000,000 111 taxation. It declared ihat tlie ill effeets of rationing will fai outweigli the potential saving of a sum which amounts to less tlian one-third ot one per eent. of the total imports planned under the economy programnu and less than one per cent. of tlie delicit in Britain's external trading nccount. Sir AYilliam Rootes, head of a leading firm of car nianufacturers, has deilared tliat the Government's decision lias been a bitter disappointment to the majority of the country. The aboli tion of the petrol ration will affect tho business eoinniunity and workers adversely, he said, and niust decrease the tempo of the country 's manufacturing and agricultural production.

One resuit of the Government's de cision is that swarms of cars have been out on the roads during recent week ends, families being determined to make the most of the rcmaining petro and continuing fme though cooler wea tlier. Others have been preparing fo; the. laving up of cars as was done during the war and Illling in forms fo: c.laiming refunds on car licenees.