THE PETROL SHORTAGE

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

THE PETROL SHORTAGE

"H.S.W." writes:—Referring to your article in The Dominion' regarding tho petrol shortage Tarnnaki is bottler provided with petrol than any other province in tho Dominion. During tho past fortnight, they have received three oversea shipments of petroleum ' spirits, amounting Ito over 30.000 cases, besides heavy transhipments from Wellington, and these should be amplo to meet tho requirements of Tnranaki for some considerable time. With roeard to the suggestion of Dr. Nowmnn, M.P., for securftig supplies of oil from tho Anglo-Per-sian Company, thin concern is under contract to supply their output of petroleum spirits to the Shell Company in Great Britain until 1022, and judging from recent Press voports from Australia, ths opinion is expressed that it. is doubtful whether any benefit will accruo to Australia in ' granting n. monopoly to this concern, in view of tho other increasing > demands of petrol in all parts of the world. The 6Uffgcstion that there 19 plenty of oil in Australia is contrary to fact, as Australia has experienced a far more acute shortage of petrol than tho Dominion, and tho shortage was by no means overcome. Ti is also incorrect to state the Australia is importing the crudo oil and l rofining it within the Common, wenlth. There has brten a lot of talk about refining in Australia, ]>ut those plans aro not likely to mature for tho next two or three years. All things considered, New Zealand is less restricted in the use of octroi than nny country in the world. Even in America, in many nlaeos motorists arc being limited to a, maximum quantity of five gallons at a time.