PETROL RATIONING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24411, 24 September 1940, Page 8

PETROL RATIONING

VIEW OF MOTOR TRADE AN INCREASED ALLOWANCE FURTHER MILLION GALLONS POSSIBLE (Per United Press Association) - WELLINGTON, Sept. 23. Repeating the statement that the present rationing of motor fuel was hampering industry in New Zealand, the president of the. New Zealand Motor Trade Federation (Mr C K. Edmond) said that the motor trade still considered that the ration lor the Dominion could be increased by 1000,000 gallons a month without any serious effect on the exchange or the tanker position. He was replying to a statement made by the Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash) on Friday Mr Edmond emphasised that both the employees and the employers in the motor industry took second place to none in their loyalty to the Empire war and aclded that the federation had not at any time questioned he Tightness of the policy of rationtag petrol, nor had. the federation ever doubted that th s policy of the conservation of petrol had been followed at the request of the United Kingdom Government. "On the other hand," Mr Sdmond said "our understanding is that the United Kingdom Government has never at any time defined the extent to which rationing should be imposed in New Zealand. .It is just at Uns point that the opinion of the Moto Trade Federation diverges from tn«. policy of the New Zealand Government The federation is of the opinion that the monthly ration should be based on 7,000,000 gallons, whereas the Government is basing its policy-on an allowance of 6,000,000 gallons a "Tfter referring to the stock position and the Government's decision to have a greater reserve, Mr Edmond said the federation knew that the reserve storage position would be satisfactory at a very early date, and it trusted the Government would then implement Hs promise to restore the cut which was P fm P osed on July 1 The federation also suggested that when the ration position was reviewed, the federation as representing the whole of the industry, including the workers, should be brought into consultation "We feel sure that a rationing scheme could be made New Zealand,* he added. which would have the dual effect of keeping the motor industry going and, at the same time, giving the maximum help to the war effort of the United Kingdom, always bearing in mind the need for an adequate reserve stock in New Zealand for all national purposes.