Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

NO BROACHING OF DEFENCE
STOCKS
CANBERRA, Oct 23.
Mr. Chifley tonight re-<*>
peated that the Govern-<*>
ment would not release
petrol from defence stocks
to overcome the shortage.
The Defence Committee,
which was the highest advisory
body on defence matters, had
said that, under no circum
stances, should defence stocks
be allowed to fall below a mini
mum level.
In face of this, said Mr. Chif
lev, the Government had no al
ternative to retaining defence
stocks.
"Since oil companies have al
lowed their working supplies to
run down these tiAtauv stocks
are now the ultimate reserve
against interruption of supplies
from abroad or any sudden in
crease in requirements for vital
purposes in Australia," added
the Prime Minister.
Hoarding Factor
Even if the Government re
leased part of the defence re
serve of 50m. gallons of petrol,
it could not ensure ttoat stocks
would go to essential users, Mr.
Chifley said tonight in his
broadcast "Report to the Na
tion."
Some of the supplies might go
into hoards, or to the black
market, as petrol distributed by
the oil companies had done
since rationing was lifted, said
Mr. Chifley.
Since the High Court judg
ment, oil companies had decided
how much petrol would go to
individual garages and other
users. Major companies had
assured the Government that
sales would be kept down to the
previous rationed level, but this
undertaking had not been kept.
By running down stocks at
their disposal, the companies
had over-sold by 21 p.c. during
June. July and August, with the
result that people who bad the
money bought petrol to hoard.
In many cases they had
bought this hoarded petrol in
bulk, direct from the oil com
panies.
BRISBANE. October 23.—
Legal advice is to be
obtained tomorrow by the
Queensland Automobile Cham
ber of Commerce to test
the validity of the action of the
!State Premier (Mr. Hanlon) in
'ordering a police census of
i petrol stocks in all areas which
I have complained of shortages.
$