PETROL FAMINE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1430, 3 May 1912, Page 5

PETROL FAMINE.

MOTORISTS ALARMED. HIGH PRICES IN CHEISTCUUKOTI. (By Tclefffajih—Press Association.) Chrisfcburch, Muy -. There is consternation in the ran lis uf motorists, nn<l .owners ol' .pctrol-driviyi, machines. There -is an acute nhortai.i' in.tho supply of petf-61 in the Dominion, , and it is anticipated that it will be or seven weeks 'before an abundant supply . of petrol is available,' -In the meantum, fancy prices aro being paid for petrol, and there is eager competition aimm,-; motorists whenever any is offered for sale. It is anticipated that as the shortage' becomes more acuto there 1 will be numerous petrol-driven vehicles put out of commission. In fact, (lie fcliortago may liava . a very serious effect on busmtsS' iii" Christclnireh. A member of the "Press" staff inter* . viewed tho.proprietor of one.of the city; garages to-dajf, and was informed-that tho amount'of petrol consumed by taxicabs had greatly exceeded anticipations,with tho result that importations' lmd not'been largo enough to meet require- ~ ments. It was quite.on tho cards.Uht a", number of taxi-cubs would Imvo tG bo laid up, and to his knowledge a Rood many doctors \yho use motor-cms very, extensively, have already practically exhausted lliiir supplied. He believed" that the shortage was common to the whole of the Dominion. Timaru,' to his 'know-';' 'edge, was practically without petrol. He bad heard of 355, being paid for a, case of petrol, the usual price being 12s. A LytteHoii merchant whoa was tho fortunate holder of two hundred eases had offered,", his I)"?!) the lot at •« .special ■ discount for net spot cash at .IDs, tho case. He had been informed (hat there was also a threatened shortage in Melbourne and' Sydney, so (hat it was useless to look id. Australia for supplies. One of tho proprietors of a local"-gar. • age, learning uf the threatened shortage, spent Tuesday and Wednesday seom'ifig". the country ami buying up. eases oMk-o. zinc from storekeepers. He got a fearful cold, for the weather was .dreadful.--but a harvest of "a score or so .'of eiwes at*ordinary prices was some compensation. It is said that the most immediate ship, mcnt of petrol (< 1 reach New Zealand will hs landed nt Auckland about tho em! uf this month. -

\Yhen ,tlu> available supply :of ■ motorspirit is exhausted, motorists will'have to fall buck on inferior stufi', such a? , benzina uml' stove naphtha'."" The find-f-;j>ifits, benzolinc and gasolene, are . expensive, but arc being bought up ra]ml!y. RUN ON AUCKLAND STOCKS. Auckland, Slav 2. Tho position with regard to tho tlirrafr. piicil fanzine famine .remains,, mmlteral.. During the last few-days .there has hccira lite run on local" stocks," and liiose" who' should be competent to form ail accurate opinion state that doubt, exists as' to whether supplies will hold out until tho arrival of the steamer Holism lets from Nc.n-.Vork, via Melbourne and Sydney, about n- fortnight hence. 1 • No other oil boats have yet born reported as leaving Kew York for New Zealand, and the run takes about 80 days. Tho local merchants attribute iho cause of the ..delay of supplies to the freight yar which has prevailed in iho shipping circles tSi America. .. Tho extensive use. of benzine nowadays ' for motor-cars and boats, as well as for manufacturing machinery, reudem'-siH'h, a shortage of serious moment, -iiljioiifjh the smaller consumers' report' that they have to pay as high as 15s. per ease, tho •' manager of n big oil'firm lold.n, "Press" representative this morning that his, company, had hot raised the prico above lira normal." This is about lis. (id.'per ease. DUNEDIN SUPPLIES. Dunedin, May 2. • " Inquiries shovr that thero is a slios'tugd of benzine and petrol in Dunedin, but . so far prices are unchanged.. It is understood that tho Vacuum Oil Company has sufficient supplies' to keep Dunedini.cHents going; for soino time, but any large orders irilinot''bo taken from the local garages. A keen | demand has also set in from 'J'imaru und Oiimoru, mid Dunedin 'nierchants are' endeavouring 'to secure supjdies from Ckristcliurch nnd tho lVorth : Island, but .largo quantities cannot bo secured. It is considered that local sup-plies-trill" be 'sufficient till the'arrival at tlio shipment by (ho llohenfels.