PETROL RATION

Evening Star, Issue 23685, 19 September 1940, Page 4

PETROL RATION

REVIEW WHEN RESERVE ATTAINED PROMISE BY MINISTER OF SUPPLY [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 18. On the attainment of a petral reserve of a certain quantity _in New Zealand the petrol rationing policy will be completely reviewed, Mid the Minister of Supply, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, at a motor trade - conference dinner to-night. The Minister told the gathering the quantity of petrol in the country and the reserve that was the Government’s aim, but asked that the figures should not be published. He assured his hearers that the sacrifices which rationing had caused the trade to make were necessary and to the advantage of New landBRITAIN APPRECIATIVE. “The more the people of New Zealand deny themselves the use of petrol the greater their contribution to the common war effort,” said Sir Harry Batterbee, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, at the same function, while explaining that the purch,ase of petrol in the Netherlands ladies often involved an inroad on the dollar exchange. . “ I know that we all recognise how important petrol is to trade and industry, and how hampering any restriction on its use must necessarily be, said Sir Harry, “ but on the other hand there is no need for me to emphasise the importance of conserving foreign exchange, especially dollars, when every dollar available is required to buy aeroplanes, guns, and munitions of all kinds for the defence of those hard-beset people of Great Britain; ■md, of course, the defence of Great Britain means the defence of New Zealand. But often hear the question asked: Can we not avoid the use of {feign exchange and obviate the need for such strict economy by buying from the Dutch East Indies?

“ (• think there is some misconception about this,” Sir Harry said. ‘‘ Because the Dutch are our gallant Allies in the war, people have thought that Dutch currency is for practical purposes the same as sterling, but this is not so. We have, it is true, an agreement with the Dutch which fixes the rate of exchange, but the Netherlands East Indies cannot be regarded for the purposes of exchange as part of the sterling area, and consequently any purchase in the_ Netherlands East Indies gives rise to claims on our foreign exchange resources. In particular the purchase of petrol in the Netherlands East Indies may involve—and, indeed, often does involve—an inroad on the dollar exchange, so it all really comes to the same thing in the end. You cannot buy petrol without the danger of an inroad,on the dollar exchange.

“The co-operation "which is being given by New Zealand in the limitation of petrol imports is most warmly welcomed in the United Kingdom,” Sir Harry added, “and an expression or ’ the United Kingdom Government’s appreciation has been conveyed to the Dominion Government.”