SELLING PETROL CHEAP.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 69, 22 March 1928, Page 18

SELLING PETROL CHEAP.

dzimro SHORT MEASURE.

PUMtf PROPRIETOR FINED £10.

(By TelegraplC~Hp#n Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday.

£1 am satisfied that he interfered with the pump so that th 4 (inspector could not test it pr operly Mr. H. P. Lowry, S.M., in fining James George Andrews £10 and costs ior using a petrol pump which was incorrectly adjusted and for selling petrpl in short measure. Andrews admitted the first charge. Mr. K. T. Bailey, inspector of weights and measures, said that on account of complaints received he instructed two officers to visit Andrews' premises on Ferry Road and purchase petrol. A car was'specially fitted up with ait auxiliary tank. A test was made, and it was found that the supply of petrol given was two and a-hall pints snort in four, gallons. Defendant had suggested the reason must be that the float had jammed. The interlocking system of the petrol pump was examined, and it was shown that the pump had been inter? fered with. <Pai*t of the machine had been tied back with wire.

Mr. Bailey u&id thia was. not the first time complaints had been'made. Defendant had been selling at a lower price thai? others. k He (Mr. Bailey) suggested that, in selling at a lower price to the public, Andrews must take some means of recouping himself. If he had a 500gallon tank he would be over 40 gallons to the good. Defendant said the pump was bought second-hand, and he had left it to the inspectors of the Department to adjust it. It was found that the pump gave less than correct measure when measuring from gallons, but this was righted when it measured five gallons. Witness thought a certain float in the pump caused the trouble, so he tied the float back and dispensed with it. "After the inspector locked the pump up he had released the mechanism secured by wire before the inspector returned. He thought he was helping the inspector.