PETROL RESTRICTIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23690, 25 September 1940, Page 7

PETROL RESTRICTIONS

SERIOUS EFFECT ON MOTOR TRADE MANY BUSINESSES BEING CRIPPLED AUTO CLUB PRESIDENT'S REMARKS If the Government had come out into the open and taken the motorists into their confidence, there would not have been anything like the same amount of dissatisfaction, stated Mr P. W. Breen, president of the Automobile Association (Otago), at the twenty-eighth annual o-eneral meeting last night, when referring to the petrol restrictions. The trade wanted another 1,000,000 gallons monthly. Following representations, the Min-ister-had "said there would have been petrol restrictions, war or no war. Then they had the Commissioner of Transport saying that in the interests. of the motoring trade it was desired that motorists should use their petrol coupons and not tear them up. ‘ On top of that we have the radio telling us to tear them up and that every coupon saved might mean the saving ot a life,” added Mr Breen. The executive of the association had come to the conclusion that the motorists were being penalised beyond what was a fair thing, and that it was not for war purposes, he added. Why should tho motorist in New Zealand be restricted more than in England? There might be a raider or two in the Pacific, but tankers had to pass right through the danger zone to get to England. In New Zealand the motorist with a highpower car got eight gallons of petrol, and in England he got 10. In Australia restrictions did not come, into operation until October 1, and the allowance was 23 gallons, while restrictions did not affect the commercial user. In Canada restrictions did not apply, as it was realised they would disrupt the trade.

The motor trade in this country was very seriously affected, and many businesses were being ruined. The value of the petrol saved was out of all proportion to the damage , done to the economic life of the industry. The Government asked Industry to take back, into business the men when they returned from the war, Mr Breen said, but how could this 'be done in the motor industry if a number of businesses were ruined. They had reports from all over the country which showed that the, position was very serious.

Their latest advice was that the whole position would he revised next month, concluded Mr Breen.