FARMERS’ PETROL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21207, 2 September 1940, Page 4

FARMERS’ PETROL

CONTROL CRITICISED FAVOURING THE OPERATORS (*X T«!©rrap&.—Special to Times) CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday When complaints were made at a meeting oUthe executive of the North Canterbury provincial Farmers’ Union that farmers were being penalised by the petrol restrictions in the use of their trucks for farm purposes, Mr W. Mulholland, Dominion president of the union, assured the meeting that the petrol regulations were well administered in most districts; but it appeared that some fuel controllers and committees were using their own discretion to a considerable extent, and ignoring the Government’s policy. From information not generally available, said Mr Mulholland, he knew there was no question about the need of saving petrol. Further, stocks had to be built up sufficient for industry, including farming, and to fight with. He had been told that the present restrictions allowed as much petrol as the country was using four years ago. That might not be realised by everyone. “J think you will find that the great increase in the use of petrol has taken place mainly outside the productive field,” said Mr Mulholland. “The first restriction should therefore fall on the man who runs a car purely for pleasure. Own Discretion Used “Now, Government policy is definitely that production must be kept going,” he said. “It is also part of this policy that the restrictions are not to be used for implementing any transport policy, other than to bring about petrol economies. But apparently some controllers and some committees have actually not been carrying out the Government’s policy and have been using their own discretion to a considerable extent. “Things that have been going on seem like an attempt to force everything into the hands of the transport operator,” said Mr Mulholland. The operator could not always run as economically as the farmer with his truck. He did not think the Government’s policy was to prevent the farmer from using his truck economically. If an improvement were desired specific instances should be quoted. The only way was to ask branches to take up cases where a ruling by the committee appeared to conflict with the known policy of the Government.