PETROL CONCESSIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 23695, 1 October 1940, Page 4

PETROL CONCESSIONS.

It will give satisfaction to motorists and to those engaged in the motor industry in its various forms to learn that the petrol ration in New Zealand is to be increased. Believing that this could reasonably be done, strong pressure by those concerned was brought on the Government, and it has yielded to the requests. The reason for the course now to be taken given by the Minister of Supply is that by tho end of October the reserves of petrol will have reached an amount that will permit of an increase in the allowance to private cars for November. If this explanation afforded by Mr Sullivan is not the most convincing, that point no doubt will be overlooked in tho face of his promise of concessions. The simple fact appears to be that the Government, partly for financial reasons, went too far in the matter of restrictions, and that Mr Nash in his statements at various times was vaguo to the point of obscurity. No ono in this country would for a moment raise any objection to a course, no matter how drastic it might bo, that was required to help the Empire’s war-effort, but if Ministers go beyond such requirements, to the detriment of important industries, resulting in unemployment and other embarrassing developments, then, as in tho present case, dissatisfaction is bound to arise. It has been contended that there is no difficulty in obtaining supplies of petrol from abroad, and that tankers aro available to carry it, but the oil companies cannot be expected to carry largo stocks if there is uncertainty about their disposal. Complaints have been made that tho Government in some respects is not economical itself in the matter of petrol, motor buses being used over stretches of country that could be covered by the railway services. Curtailment of the use of petrol to a point more than is absolutely necessary is a disadvantage to the Government from tho revenue point of view, but its most serious feature is the disorganisation of one of the Dominion’s most important industries.