PETROL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 216, 31 May 1918, Page 4

PETROL SUPPLIES

HESTMCTIOXS AS TO USE. It is known that the U6O of petrol has been very severely restricted in England during the last two years, and severe. penalties have been inflicted on motorists for using anything in the nature oi' motor spirit for purposes outside the lcgulntions. Up to the present the usu ol petrol in Now Zealand lias been unrestricted, but there are indications that this happy state of things- is not to bo allowed to continue much longer. As n matter of fact, the big supply firms nro taking the matter into their own hands. Ono Wellington firm has already issued a circular to clients informing them that petrol (or benzine) will for the future only bo issued for cer-

'.ain defined purposes, the effect of which should mean that the uso of petrol for purely pleasure purposes will bo restricted in tho future. Another big •firm, whose operations spread throughout the Dominion, stale that whilst they have not issued a circular so far, they are asking their clients practically the same questions as nro set, out oil the memorandum- mentioned, with the object of restricting supplies for useful and business purposes only. This does not necessarily mean that there is -an acute shortage of petrol supplies in tho Dominion, but is a war-time contingency brought about by the shortage of shipping and tho ever-increasing demand that is being made on the world's available supplies for war work. At the same time shortages are being experienced in some of the provincial towns, and the shortages are reflected in tho price being chnrged.. A molor-car dealer who was in Wanganui, last week had to. liny is. Gd. a gallon for a small quantity of petrol, and in Levin he could not purchase any at all. At the price c,uoted inotorimr (for pleasure at least) is a luxury. Tho average five-scator car engine does from 20 (o 2G miles on a gallon of good spirit. To work out the cost in petrol alone' for a jaunt in a, motor-car is tho simplest of arithmetical sums.