BLACK MARKET PETROL

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 250, 21 July 1942, Page 3

BLACK MARKET PETROL

Supreme Court Hearing The trial began in the Supreme Court, Wellington, yesterday, of Francis Ledford, driver of a bulk petrol wagon alleged to be involved in what have become known as the black market petrol cases. Bedford is facing charges of the unauthorized sale of oil fuel, ot supplying oil fuel to Charles Norman Young other than in pursuance of a consumer s licence, and of similarly supplying oil fuel to Young and Bell. Ltd. The Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) is on the Bench, Mr. W. IL Cunningham, with him Mr. W R. Birks, is appearing for the Crown, and Mr. W. P. Rollings for accused. Early in his openiilg address, Mr. Cunningham agreed with his Honour that the point at issue was whether or not petlol had been supplied by Bedford on the date in question. If it were established that petrol had been supplied, there was no disputing that the supplying was a breach of the regulations. Mr. Rollings agreed with this definition. Mr. Cunningham went on to say that in January, 1942,. when there were no coupons available for private cars, the Oil Fuel Controller became aware that, petrol was “getting out,” and decided to take Steps. There would be a certain amount of general evidence, about the service station and the Oil 1' uel Regulations, Mr. Cunningham went on. 1 hoto“raphs of the station would be produced, and a plan of the underground tanks. There were 11 tanks, but ouiy .10 pumps, two of the tanks being connected up to the No. 3 pump. The evidence would turn a good deal on the second tank connected to the No. 3 pump. It would be said that in September, 1940, when super Plume went off the market, the proprietor of the service station, in view o£ the greater amount of ordinary Plume he was selling, agked that the super Plume tank be connected to the ordinary Plume pump. Shortly after this there was a change or inspectors, and the second tank attached to the ordinary Plume pump was overlooked, and seemed to disappear from the records till April this year. At a police inspection of the service station on February 17. the second tank was not investigaied, as no one knew of it but tne station proprietors; On May 18 a sample was taken from {he tank, and analysis showed it to be a distinctive blend of spirit which was stocked by the Shell Company between September, ana January, 1942. Air. Cunningham went on to say that for a period of three months ending in October, 1941, the Shell Company by arrangement was delivering to Plume tanks. The Oil Fuel Controller s suspicion having been aroused, a police watch was set on Young and Bell’s service station for three and a half working days, beginning on January 30. This was at a window exactly opposite the service station, from where the meter readings could be seen. A careful record was taken of the readings, and this record showed that 370 gallons bad been disposed ot from the ordinary Plume pump to 40 vehicles -without an entry being made on the vendor’s schedule. Some of these sales were quite substantial, more than 40 gallons at a time. During those three and a half days, only one bulk wagon called, a Shell wagon driven by accused. Accused was seen to get out, take a hose from the wagon, couple one end of it to a. point in the yard, and the other to a point, on the. wagon. The wagon remained there, with accused standing beside it, for about 20 minutes. The Shell till point was at the other end of the yard. Young was- on duty at the station at the time, anti the police did not see accused go into the office to make an entry on the stock schedule. On February 2, the police saw Y'oung interfering witn the meter of the ordinary Plume pump, and again on February 3. Mr. Cunningham said he did not think there was any. doubt that the meter was interfered with bv retarding it on these two occasions. The next part of the evidence, Mr. Cunningham went on. would be about the system of checking at the installation, and accused’s methods on January 31, together with his course about M clliugton. When the Court rose for the day at t> p.m., 10 witnesses, including the chief police witness, had given their evidence. They were Frank Oldfield Jenson, a photographer attached to the criminal registration branch. George Janies Martin Meles, sub-district oil fuel controller. Alfred Gibson, Gerald Collins GAllen, and George Long, oil fuel., inspectors. Constables John Morris Pointon and Thomas Joseph Pretty, who kept watch over the station. William Gordon Gilbert _ and Matoe Wi Neera, petrol delivery drivers, and Oswald Douglas Cleland, a. clerk explored by tile Vacuum Oil Company.