REASONS FOR STRICT RATIONING SOUGHT

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 43, 14 November 1940, Page 5

REASONS FOR STRICT RATIONING SOUGHT

Importance Of Petrol In Life Of Country Dominion Special Service PALMERSTON N., November 13. “Petrol is an integral part of the whole of our life and business, and though everyone is prepared to do his or her share toward ultimate victory for the Empire, it is hard to see why our per vol supplies are so drastically cut,” said the president of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce, Mr. K. A. Henderson, when reviewing the developments of the past year at the annual meeting. “There appears to be no shortage of petrol supplies or tankers. Lt has been pointed out that most of our petrol does not come from America and therefore the import of less petrol is not a saving in dollar exchange enabling the purchase of more aeroplanes. “If there is some other underlying principle, which some of us believe does exist, then the Government should take the people into its confidence and let them know the real reason of these restrictions, and I feel sure we would all bear the onerous control much more philosophically than at present. Is this underlying principle a desire to reduce our standard of living more within the real wealth of our country? If it is just a question of saving our sterling funds then the citizens are quite at liberty to criticize Government spending in other directions, particularly in erections ot large public buildings which must, by the importations of steel and other necessities, use our sterling funds. Petrol is an integral part of the. whole ol our life, and the inaintenanoe of smooth business relations ami social lift* is also a, very necessary war effort and must be recognized as more necessary than the erection of large public buildings. 11 expenditure on public buildings at present could be stopped and the sterling funds thus saved used for more petrol supplies, it would. I feel- sure, meet with the approval of practically everyone in New Zealand. “If there is a reason for New Zealand to have loss petrol than any other part of the Empire, then the conditions are justified in asking what, that reason is. If our Government is actually making a better war effort than other parts of the Empire in this connexion then they are to be congratulated on the stand taken.”