Time for Govt to regulate petrol industry

I READ with interest ‘‘Pumping up the price of petrol in the South’’ (ODT,

23.5.18).

It reminded me of my days sitting in a 1960 King Edward Technical College history class and listening to my teacher with a surname of Russell.

Mr Russell’s history lesson was all about a Dunedin businessman, Charles Todd, who decided back in 1931 to import his own petrol.

He was in competition with the then overseas firms, such as Texaco (now Caltex in New Zealand), Plume (now Mobil), Shell (now Z Energy) and Atlantic (now Mobil).

On getting his oil company registered in New Zealand, he approached the overseas oil companies to supply him with petrol and they told him where to go.

Hence he started in 1933 the Europa brand of cheap imported petrol from the Soviet Union. It was in turn sold through a chain of service stations across the country, in association with the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and regional Automobile Associations.

As his Europa oil company gained a foothold in the New Zealand market, the overseas oil companies decided to undercut Europa, hence the New Zealand government of the day introduced regulation of petrol prices from 1933.

Maybe it is now time for our present Government to step back in time and do what the late Charles Todd did?

Don Sinclair

Tahakopa Valley

Byebye to the ‘bitter’

THE National Party has become quite bitter over its election loss, with the two main men doing a runner also.

It had nine years to do good, but only achieved massive underfunding of all infrastructure and selling off the country to anyone who had a dollar, forgetting about the repercussions to the average Kiwi taxpayer.

Tough luck and good riddance.

G. Palmer West Harbour ...................................

BIBLE READING: I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. — John 16:33.