PETROL RESTRICTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 6

PETROL RESTRICTIONS.

No one quarrels with inconvenience, or even with necessary hardship that may be caused by restrictions on petrol in war time. The question that has been raised by the New Zealand Motor Trade Federation and organisations of those who use petrol is whether the Government is not carrying its policy in this connection to a point where hardships that are not necessary are liable to be produced, with a result of disadvantages outweighing the advantages that are its object. In a general sense, we think, whatever doubts on the question may be provoked by special circumstances, the wisdom of petrol rationing can be taken for granted. Stocks may be good now, and tankers involve no difficulty, but it is impossible to say how long the war,will last, and at any time new developments may occur that would cause the greatest obstacles to their replenishment. It is certain that before the powers that be imposed restrictions the British Government was pressing them very hard to adopt that course, as a war measure, for the sake of the dollar exchange and for other

advantages. Great Britain has adopted petrol rationing, and it is the system in Australia. What makes a natural question is why it should he necessary to ration slightly harder in ■this country than is done in Great Britain and more than twice as hard as in the Commonwealth.

The Australian example may be not strictly relevant as a comparison, because the Australian “ cuts,” as they were first announced, were reduced by half as a concession to protests, and this was done on the eve of an election, when popularity is apt to weigh more with Governments than any other consideration. Whether the dollar exchange of Great Britain, as Mr Nash explained when rationing was first imposed, or the oversea funds of this country are the prime object of concern in the Government’s restrictions does not appear to matter very much for practical purposes. Financial obligations which, in an immediate sense, have been increased for the Government by its desirable policy of paying for the war as far as possible while it is being fought make the conservation of all its resources of the first importance. The prospect, however, of widespread unemployment being caused not only in the motor industry itself, which is the second largest in the Dominion, but in others of which petrol is a main ingredient by restrictions on the sca(e that is being enforced, makes it natural to ask whether the public interest would not be served better by a somewhat less rigorous curtailment. Unemployment in New Zealand could be only a hindrance to the war effort. Mr Nash, in his statement made in the House on the restrictions, was less explicit than could be desired. He quoted a statement, made by the High Commissioner in answer to inquiries by the Government, “ The United Kingdom still desires you to restrict,” but that statement did not specify the extent of the restrictions judged to be required, The request which has been made by representatives of those who are being adversely affected in this country that the restrictions for private motorists should be eased to the extent of one-sixth cannot he called an extreme proposal. For the sake of his revenue and of employment, Mr Nash should be glad to accord it if it is practicable. If it is impracticable, he should be able to state just why.