PETROL SALES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 85, 12 April 1937, Page 5

PETROL SALES

FIXING OF PRICE

MINISTER ON POSITION

(By I'elsffraph -Tress Ass«elation.l WANGANUI, This Day. .Two, specific. requests were made to the Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) by a deputation of petrol resellers'in Taranaki, Wanganui, Rangitikei, and Manawatu on Saturday. It was asked that the Government apply price fixation to all petrol resellers, and secondly, that with the advent of such price fixation dairy factories; which at present are exempt, be-included: and, except . in very special circumstances, no increase be made in selling points to dairy factories or similar co-operative concerns.

The Minister promised to give close consideration to the matter. He said that petrol selling was now a licensed industry and was thus protected against the absurd multiplication of selling points which had obtained during the past. Progress in carrying out the plan involved; by the licensing of the industry had been delayed by a multitude of ■difficulties, but it was now close to fulfilment.

Dealing with the subject of dairy factories as selling points for; petrol, the Minister told the deputation that the dairy industry had long been regarded'as a depressed, industry and from time to time concessions had been made to it That was why he had exempted dairy factories from the provisions of price fixation. How:ever, the deputationl hadrmade out a good rase and on approaching dairy, factories had found that, jn. the. major- j ity of cases the factories were agreeable to the price fixation; in, other cases they were indifferent as to what was done and in the remaining cases definitely against the proposal. He thought he could see a solution of the ; problem by bringing dairy factories under price-fixation provisions, but, by a subsequent/amendment to the law, giving them freedom to allocate profits on petroli;in; such-a way as they should determine. either as a direct benefit to suppliers based on purchases v of. petrol, or by putting the profits to the general "trading account.