PRICE OF PETROL.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 September 1918, Page 6

PRICE OF PETROL.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST RETAILERS. MINISTER'S WARNING. The Hon. Arthur Myers, Minister in Charge of Munitions and Supplies, mentioned to a representative of the “Bost’ v td-day that it had been recently reported to him that the Petrol Regulations, in regard to price, were not being observed in some cases by retailers. Consequently the matter had been taken up by the Department with the secretary of the Motor Garage Proprietors’ Association of New Zealand, who was now co-operating by assisting in making the regulations more fully known to all the parties concerned.

The prices which bad been fixed by the Board of Trade were the maximum prices which should be paid to retailers, the Minister continued. Anyone who paid in excess of the gazetted prices was therefore committing a breach of the regulations.

The prices Hxed by the Board of Trade (with a proviso that transporta : tion charges may be added to the prices gazetted for the various ports are: —

At Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. —Class A, 27s 6d per case of no less than 8 gallons; 13s 9d per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s 6d per gallon less than 4 gallons. Class B, 22s 6d per case of not less than S gallons; 11s 3d per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s per gallon less than 4 gallons. At Naper and Timaru. —Class A, 28s ner case of not less than 8 gallons, 14s per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s 7d per gallon less than 4 gab ons. Class B, 23s per case of not less than 8 gallons; 11s 6d per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s Id per gallon less than 4 gallons.

At Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Gisborne.—Class A, 29s per case of not less than 8 gallons; 14s 6d per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s 9d per gallon less than 4 gallons. Class B, 24s per case of not less than 8 gallons; 12s per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s 3d per gallon less than 4 gallons.

At Invercargill.—Class A, 29s 6d per case of not less than 8 gallons; 14s 9d per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s 9d per gallon-less than 4 gallons. Class B, 24s 6d per case of not less than 8 gallons; 12s 3d per tin of not less than 4 gallons; and 3s 3d per gallon less than 4 gallons. Under Class A, where a case contains not less-, than 8 1-3 gallons, an additional charge of one shilling per case may be made. These are the prices at which retailers must sell patrol, it being understood that the Board of Trade controls the price at which importers sell to wholesale and retail distributors. The wholesale prices are , fixed by the

Board of Trade before they recommend the grant of importing licenses. Mr. expressed his appreciation of the ready manner in which the Motor Garage Proprietors’ Association had assisted in this matter.