CONTROL OF MOTORING.

Evening Star, Issue 23372, 15 September 1939, Page 8

CONTROL OF MOTORING.

There is every indication that the motoring fraternity of New Zealand is willing to conform to any restrictive regulations or unification of control which the Government sees fit to introduce to meet wartime conditions. On the outbreak of war, when it was feared that not even an allowance of ten gallons of petrol a month for private car owners would be available, the majority of motorists seemed quite content to make the sacrifice asked for and to put their cars away altogether. Fortunately, however, the Government found itself able, sooner perhaps than was expected, to fulfil its promise to ease the restrictions at the earliest possible date. Tho decision to permit car owners to purchase ten gallons of petrol a month by the coupon method should provide proof that even in these times of emergency, the legislative authorities are making every effort to study the welfare of the community. The response of the public- to all new regulations should be one of ready compliance. It is probable that when war first broke out and drastic measures were immediately introduced, some motorists who still had to carry out obligations undertaken beforehand contrived “ to beat the law ” in securing what amounted to more than their rightful share of fuel. But now that the Dominion has settled down to cope with the gravest crisis of modern times, the need for absolute honesty in obeying the laws of

f the land is more than ever necessary. The Controller of Oil Fuel (Mr G. L. Laurenson) has emphasised the desire of tho Government to return to normal conditions in petrol supply as soon as possible, and says that in tho meantime the finest co-operation motorists can give is by continued acceptance of tho necessary restrictions. The wisdom of_ the appeal for this kind of assistance should be apparent to anyone who gives thought to the 'situation in the world to-day. In a statement issued last night tho Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) announced that the Government intended to bring all forms of public motor transport under a uniform system of national control as the first step in its plan for organising road transport on a basis of maximum efficiency to serve the Dominion during the war period. This step also appears to he a necessary one, and there is no doubt that persons engaged in the commercial side of motoring will respond with the same loyalty as private car owners to the new order of things. The Minister himself reports having consulted representatives of the various branches of public motor transport on the matter, his findings being that those people came forward in a wonderful spirit of national service and gave an assurance that they were ready and willing to offer the services of their organisations to the Government, and to do everything in their power to make the road transport industry fully efficient to meet the demands, required of it. Needless to say, this is the attitude that will make infinitely more easy the task of the Government in organising to meet conditions which, in the course of the war, may be much less free from worry than they are just now., Efficient organisation—and every individual can contribute towards it—may mean half the battle.