CHARGE RESENTED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 192, 12 May 1944, Page 4

CHARGE RESENTED

Use Of Commercial Petrol Licences Resentment at what he termed “the. direct and indirect insinuations ot petty dishonesty against all commercial petrol licence-holders made in certain quarters recently.” was expressed yesterday by Mr. J) [ Macdonald, secretary ot the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation. •‘Manufacturing industry represents a large section of the commercial petrol licenee-hold-ers,'’ he said, “and to suggest that tliev. ns individual motorists, are abusing ’their privileges as licence-hold-ers is tantamount to suggesting that they are out to sabotage their own war effort.” . While agreeing that it was unfortunately a failing of human nature for a small, unprincipled section of any body of licence-.holders to take advantage of a position ot trust. Mr. Macdonald said it was unfair that a general stigma of petty dishonesty should fall on that large body of licence-holders represented by the commercial community. As persons who lul l turned over unhesitatingly from civilia.i to war production, in many eases at no small sacrifice, manufacturers felt that the implication was unjustified. Recalling the steps that had led up to the granting of petrol under licence for commercial use, Mr. Macdonald said that manufacturers, along with other motorists. had accepted heavy cuts in their supplies, though experience had shown that war production had increased, demand in the case of many firms. They then went ahead to make the best possible industrial use of their, allowances. They accepted petrol rationing in the same way as they accepted other controls where they realized such were a necessary though irritating prerequisite to the successful prosecution of the war. For any responsible body to now turn around ami suggest that the very petrol allowed for the production of essential war supplies was being used for Joy-riding, was equivalent to accusing a soldier on active service of using his bullets for fishing sinkers. "If the motoring interests wish to press their charge against commercial licence holders ns a body, they should do so fairly and through the official channels,” said Mr. Macdonald.