IMPRESSMENT ORDERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 March 1942, Page 4

IMPRESSMENT ORDERS

BINOCULARS & OIL DRUMS IN AUSTRALIA. PEREMPTORY ACTION TAKEN. With war in the Pacific, private property is becoming of less account every day in Australia, and the people are no longer surprised at any demands the Government may make on them for the war effort. In the last few days owners of binoculars and oil drums have been ordered to turn those articles over to the Minister for Supply, Mr Beasley. The binoculars will be requisitioned for the fighting services. _ The order applies to wholesalers, retailers, pawnbrokers and private citizens, State Governments, municipalities, and semiGovernment authorities. A panel of Government experts will assess compensation to be paid owners. The order confers powers on Government requisition officers to search premises for binoculars. Heavy penalties are provided for evasion of the order. No estimate has been made of how many pairs of binoculars will be acquired by the order, but from Sydney pawnshops alone the authorities expect to retrieve 1500 pairs. Racegoers will supply most of the binoculars, but it is improbable that racecourse stewards and radio sport commentators w r ill be asked to sacrifice theirs. One commentator, Cyril Angles, ;of 2UW, said: “If my glasses go, I hope I can go with them. Race commentators would be invaluable in war work, as they know how to use binoculars.”

The impressment of oil drums was explained as a necessity by Mr Beasley to enable the Government to use every available container to store petrol. Before petrol rationing was introduced thousands of motorists bought 44 and 24 gallon drums and these will now have to be returned within 30 days to the companies from which they were purchased. Owners Will be refunded the value of the drums. Mr Beasley said he expects to secure 70,000 drums by the order. From 5000 to 7000 drums were being manufactured each week in Australia. Mr Beasley said that the Government would probably use garage petrol tanks which had been thrown into disuse by diminishing sales as a further means of storing motor spirit for national needs. This storage, he added, would permit petrol supplies to be maintained at scattered centres . and ready to be drawn on at short notice.