PRODUCER GAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24420, 4 October 1940, Page 9

PRODUCER GAS

USE BY TRANSPORT COMPANIES NO EFFECT ON LICENCES (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. Oct. 3. The use of producer gas plants by transport companies which are in danger of losing their licences will not be considered a reason for the continuation of the , licences. This was announced by the Minister of Transport, Mr R. Semple, in an interview to-day. The use of gas plants was being encouraged, Mr Semple said. The Transport Department had been making investigations of the design of a plant, as it would not have “ dud ” plants foisted on the public. Asked if the use of a plant had been held to be a reason for the retention of a transport licence. Mr Semple said the carrying on of a licence depended cn the value of the service to the public. If a service were essential it would be encouraged and not discouraged, but a transport owner could not use a producer gas plant as a reason why he should receive differential treatment.

The merger of transport concerns was not a war measure, the Minister added. It was a policy long before the war began and if it was carried out there would be an additional saving of petrol during the war. He had tried his best to persuade the transport people to agree to this necessary regulated order without any compulsion and great savings had been effected m those areas in which mergers had taken place.