PETROL POSITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 February 1942, Page 2

PETROL POSITION

9 ALLEGATIONS DENIED NO RESTRICTIONS ON IMPORTATION. COMPLAINTS REPLIED TO. In commenting on some complaints made concerning the petrol position, Mr J. Robertson, M.P., draws attention to an announcement in the House of Representatives last Thursday by _ the Minister of Supply, Mr D. G. Sullivan, in reference to the matter. “There is not an atom of truth in statements repeated from time to time that the people have been denied petrol because of alleged shortage of money or an alleged shortage of sterling funds, or that —most ridiculous of all —because tankers had allegedly been turned back,” the Minister continued. “The Government has placed no restriction whatever on the importation of petrol into this country. The five oil companies have been repeatedly requested to arrange for the importation of as much petrol as could possibly be secured.” The Minister added that every gallon of petrol that could be made available for consumption had been made available. If more had been distributed it would have been at the expense of the national security. After stating that an increase in allowances was now possible, Mr Sullivan went on to say: “The amount of petrol available to New Zealand has for the greater period of the war been determined by the British Government, by whom the situation has been controlled, irrespective of the source of the petrol. The allocation to New Zealand by the British Government was on a restricted rationing basis. Every effort was made and continued to be made by the War Cabinet in representations to London to secure a larger quota. The British Government was unable to meet our various requests. Following the outbreak of war with Japan, all the tankers scheduled to deliver petrol to this country were cancelled, or no information could be obtained concerning them. In view of the intensified threat to the security of this Dominion, the War Cabinet itself obliged to take more drastic action to conserve supplies; and decided that the. supplies in the country would have to be so conserved that they would last for six months. It was this necessity to reduce the output of petrol by 2,500,000 gallons a month that has resulted in so much inconvenience to the public, and so difficult a task for myself."