MOTOR SPIRIT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 258, 26 July 1920, Page 4

MOTOR SPIRIT

« SUPPLIES FROM PERSIA. By Telejrap)i-PrcFs Association. Christchurch, July 24. The possibility of obtaining supplies of motor spirit from Persia has been suggested recently, and the Hon. E. P. Leo was asked to-day whether the Government had done anything in the mat> ter. Tie replied that the question had been addressed to him in Parliament, and h<j had promised to look into it. Tha agent of tho Shell Oil Company was in New Zealand at present, hut had not approached him, but ho had hail a conversation with the chairman of the Board of Trado about the matter. Sir, Lee did not support tho suggestion that there was profiteering; in regard to motor spirit, _ Ho said the Board of Trada from time to time fixed prices according to the invoice prices of tho crmpnnios importing, an6>no increase was authorised unless the whole matter was gone into again. Mr. Lee added, that car* had to be taken in handling big American companies, for if they liked Uiey could pass New Zealand altogether in the matter of supplies. Following > close upon the resignation of tho Anti-Profiteering Tribunal, it i? understood that tho members of the Christchurch Petrol Committee, set. np in connection with tho Board of Trado for the purpose of controlling the dislributton of petrol, have BCtit in their resignations.