The Herald

75 years ago

SALISBURY, 13 January 1941. — The Salisbury motoring public has become “panicky” over the petrol position and many are buying petrol which in normal times they would not buy.

This is the consensus of opinion of garage owners, who found yesterday that in many cases they had sold out their day’s quota by the middle of the morning.

The Government view, as expressed by the Minister of Supply, Captain F E Harris, is that the desired restriction of supplies by 25 percent is being achieved and that it is not the Government’s task to enter into minor details of distribution by the garage owners.

The Minister believed that the difficulties would soon be overcome when the public settled down to the idea.

Most garages yesterday were sold out by 11am. One garage owner said that in his opinion the public was making little attempt to conserve petrol and he cited cases of weekend trippers who went from one garage to another until their car tanks were full.