RESENTMENT FELT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 4

RESENTMENT FELT

MOTORISTS AND PETROL RATIONING A.ND HOLIDAY TRAVEL “ It is apparent th.ht many motorists strongly resent the continued criticism levelled at them bo* individuals and bodies in respect to the use of petrol. The Government han cut the supply of petrol to resellers by 10 per cent, each month. Surely these critics realise that this is actioning, and the private motorist has actually been rationed by almost .'25 per cent, to 30 per cent.,’’ said the president of the Automobile Association, Otago, at the monthly meeting of the executive last night. Mr Fereris said that, as it was the last meeting for the y'uar and as sufficient time nad now elapsed since the petrol cut was imposed, it was opportune to make some comment on the position. \ ■ \ “ From reports from our own officers and from personal investigation, it is obvious that the petrol resellers in our area are taking the matter seriously, and are Rationing tftieir supplies in a very fair manner,” ;Mr Ferens said “ This is a difficult and onerous job, and I think we should express our appreciation and hope that as the months pass certain anomalies and difficulties, now very apparent will be rectified as we adjust ourselves to the ‘new order’ for motorists. “The allocation to resellers each month is now approximately 90 per cent, of the amount sold in the same month last year. "In the interim the position in many cases has changed considerably. For example, the carrying out of large constructional, works inyolving the heavy use of fuel has increased the volume handled by some stations by 100 per cent.. No doubt a system will be eivolved which wiU make allowance fob sqch cases.

“ The burning question at the moment to most jmembers is, 4 Can I get petrol for m y/holidays? ’ The association’s answer is ‘ Yes; you can and will get, petrol in reason, but you must not; expect to get and use as mudh, as you would like.’ J

“In other words,, you should get and use as much as you need to go to your destination. Every; year the population during the -holiday period shifts with the resultant fluctation in the consumption of petrol in various centres. The present system of rationing automatically adjmsts itself to meet this contingency, so if at, say, Queenstown last January a station sold, 5000 gallons it will have almost the same amount to sell this coming January. “I would 'appeal 'to the travelling motorist to be tolerapt and co-opera-tive when approaching re-sellers for supplies remembering 1 that their patience is often sorely' tried by the thoughtless and selfisfi motorist who in the first place leaves everything to the last minute, and in the second place thinks only of his own selfish ends without any thought of the other fellow’s difficulties. He should replenish his tank before it is empty; avoid drawing supplies over weekends or on last days of, the month. “I appeal to the re-seller also to be reasonable. I appreciate that he must look after his 1 regular customers first, especially if they are commercial users, but when it comes to selling the balance of his monthly quota to the casual purchaser, then I ask his cooperation also. “The motorist is in the same position when using petrol as using his meat, butter, or tea ration. He is entitled to use his car, no matter how, to the limit of the fuel allowed by law. He pays his taxes—and no . taxpayer pays more when his uses his V.-ir for business or for pleasure—and five idea that seems to be in the minds of. some people, that the motorist is doing something wrong when he uses his car for his own pleasure or canveinience, is to be deplored and must bei corrected.

“If the motor car were put off

tihe road to-morrow the transportation system in the country would niot carry the public either locally ' or nationally.

\‘“We know that the majority of motorists are co-operating—they are not continually using their cars, they use the buses and the trams, they have shortened the extent of their Christmas holidays, they are staying hame for week-ends and because of, this, so far as we can ascertain, every re-seller in Dunedin had enough petrol at the end of last mpnth to keqp his regular customers going and meot the needs of travellers and casual buyers.”