FUEL RATIONING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 March 1942, Page 4

FUEL RATIONING

INSTITUTION IN BRITAIN NEED OF BUILDING UP BIGGER RESERVES. STATEMENT BY DR. DALTON. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.45 a.m.) RUGBY, March 17. A comprehensive system of fuel rationing was announced in the House of Commons by the President of the Board of Trade, Dr. Dalton. He said: “In time of war, coal is more precious than gold. We are now at the end of a very severe winter. Stocks of coal at the beginning of winter were much higher than in the winter before, but were much too low. We have just scraped through so far. By next autumn we must build up” stocks to a much higher level. Otherwise, if we had a bad turn in the war, we should be in a critical position.” ' The Minister said the rationing scheme would take a little time to work out and he had invited Sir William Beveridge to report on the most effective and equitable method of restricting and rationing the consumption of fuel and power. He would have the assistance of Sir Stephen Tallents, who was associated with him in preparing and administering food,rationing schemes in the last war. Dr. Dalton added that he had already taken steps to prevent the forestalling of rationing restrictions and a new process of restriction on deliveries had today come into force over the whole country.