MOTOR INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24408, 20 September 1940, Page 4

MOTOR INDUSTRY

PETITION FROM WORKERS THE PETROL RESTRICTIONS LARGER ALLOWANCE SOUGHT A petition signed by 263 workers in the motor trade and allied industries in Dunedin has been forwarded to the Prime Minister, Mr P. Fraser. The petition, which urges the release of additional petrol supplies to give the workers a greater sense of security in their employment, is as follows: 1. That your petitioners are workers engaged in the motor industry, which industry is reputed to be the second largest in New Zealand. 2. That your petitioners. are prejudiced in their employment by the dislocation caused through the unwarranted petrol restrictions. 3. That all trades employing motor transport are affected, and that the repercussions are falling heavilv on the workers in the motor industry. 4. That your petitioners desire to fall in with the wishes of the Governmenl to “ work as you have never/, worked before.” -- .. 5. That 158 of our fellow-workers in Dunedin in garages and service stations alone have already relinquished their employment, and more are waiting to be put off. 6. That your petitioners are fully representative of the workers in the motor industry in Dunedin;, Wherefore your petitioners pray that relief be granted by releasing at least 7.000,000 gallons of petrol per month, in order to give us some reasonable sense of security in our employment, EFFECT ON ECONOMIC LIFE STATEMENT BY FEDERATION PRESIDENT REQUEST FROM BRITISH TRADE

(Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. Claiming that the supplies of petrol issued in New Zealand were so low that the economic life of the country was being affected, the Motor Trade Federation’s annual meeting this morning supported the president. Mr C. E. Edmond, in the statement that another million gallons a month were, required. Mr Edmond produced a letter from a large British motor manufacturer in which an appeal was made for a market in New Zealand. “ We would like to respond to that appeal, but cannot unless there is some easement in the petrol situation. On the one hand we have the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom telling us that we must conserve petrol, and on the other, one of the leading motor manufacturers in England pleading with us to buy their goods. There must be some place in the middle where we can meet and do both, things.” " ■’ Mr . W..E; Hill said the industry had never opposed petrol rationing as a principle, but contended that there was a point beyond which rationing could not go on without a serious effect on the economic life of the Dominion. deputation to prime minister SUPPORT FROM AUCKLAND (Peb United Press Association) ■ AUCKLAND, Sept. 19. The council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce to-day decided to support the Canterbury Chamber, which proposed to send a deputation to the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, asking for a relaxation of the petrol restrictions at least to the extent of granting the amount of petrol available prior to July 1 last ~ ' The president, Mr Spencer, said they should ask why #ey got less than;.tit England and a great deal less than in Australia. HASTINGS EMPLOYEES ALARMED WITHHOLDING OF UNION DUES FAVOURED (Per United Press Association) HASTINGS. Sept. 19. A protest, which is becoming Do-minion-wide, was voiced at a Hastings meeting to-night, when members of tne motor industry discussed the serious effects of petrol rationing. The following resolution was passed: “That this meeting, representative of 157 garage and service station employees of Hastings, views with alarm the* drastic effects of the Government’s nolicv of petrol rationing throughout the Dominion, and realises that, unless immediate steps are taken to increase the allowance, a large percentage of the employees will be unemployed, becoming a further drain on the country s resources on social security.” A suggestion that employees should withhold union dues until some action was taken by the Government was favoured by the meeting.