UNLAWFUL USE OF PETROL

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 15, 13 October 1942, Page 2

UNLAWFUL USE OF PETROL

Maori Sent To Jail

CASE OF SABOTAGE, SAYS MAGISTRATE (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NAPIER, October 12. “To* my mind it is a ease of sabotage,” commented the magistrate, Mr. Miller, in the Magistrates’ Court, when convicting a Native, Whui Carroll, a married man with 12 children, on three charges of obtaining oil fuel otherwise than for the purposes set out in the applications made to the oil fuel controller. Carroll was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on the first two charges, the terms to be cumulative, and fined £3O on the third charge. Defendant pleaded guilty.

Detective-Sergeant K. Mills, prosecuting, said between January 5 and June 30, Carroll drew no less than 911 gallons of petrol, allegedly to cut and haul firewood, and ou his own admission the total quantity used for that purpose was sufficient to cut only 30 cords of wood, and was estimated by himself to be 15 gallons. On his own estimate he had misused 896 gallons since the beginning of the year. Detective-Sergeant Milla said that on October 24, 1941, Carroll was granted a licence for 50 gallons of petrol for cutting and hauling firewood at Fernhill. Again in November defendant was granted a licence for 132 gallons. It was ascertained from Carroll that he actually used 155 gallons for woodcutting, 27 gallons being used for other purposes. He admitted giving some to three other men. During December, 194 J, Carroll became ill and did not cut any more firewood. On January 5 he made application for mid was granted a licence for 132 gallons,of petrol. On February 17 he was granted a further licence for 251 gallons, on April 1 he was granted 176 gallons, and on May 11 and June 2 similar amounts were granted. Defendant was charged with’ offences relating to April, May and June, 1942. Though the facts disclosed offences over a longer period, the time limit for laying informations had expired. .. „ ~ , , Detective-Sergeant Milis added that Carroll wrote to the controller asking that the licence be increased to 352 gallons a month. At that time he was receiving 176 gallons a month. As a result of the letter the traffic inspector, Mr. C. J. Robinson, arranged with Carroll to visit the scene of the wood-cutting to check on the petrol consumption. Carroll then discovered he had urgent business in Wairon and failed to keep the appointment. Gave Away 250 Gallons. Later he was arrested nt Clive and made the confession that he had used much of the petrol for his own running about and had given away some 250 gallons. Carroll on April 16 was granted a disability pension of £llO a yeai for total disability. During the period April ami June Carroll drew 528 gallons of petrol allegedly to cut and haul firewood, yet was in receipt of n pension for total disability ami was certified unfit for any manual work. Mr. E. V. Simpson, counsel for defendant, said tho case would have been worse hail a European been involved. Mr. Simpson dwelt on the communal ways of Maoris and said Carroll was uneducated and had no real sense of figures. Carroll had no lorry of his own, and borrowed vehicles from relatives. Defendant did not. see anything wrong in giving petrol to the men he borrowed the lorries from.

Tho magistrate said the fact that n Native should obtain largo quantities of petrol to be frittered away was a matter for the authorities to look into, and if necessary the. regulations should be tightened up. Carroll not only received a large quantity of petrol, but had the impudence to ask that it be increased. Subsequently three Natives, _ Kore Tunua, Fernhill, Broughton David Edwards. Bridge Fa, and Dudley Cyril August, Wainiarmnn, were charged with breaches of the oil fuel regulations. De-tective-Sergeant Mills said defendants lent, their trucks to Carroll ami obtained petrol on Carroll’s licence. Mr. Simpson, for defendants, said defendants obtained petrol from Carroll m payment for the loan of the trucks. Carroll iu evidence said he had filled the tanks of the trucks for defendants when he had been returning them, He had filled tanks holding 10 gallons on five occasions for each defendant.

Mr. Miller said defendants could not accept petrol instead of money. “If people did that we would have no petrol in the country in no time," he said. Tuna was fined £lO, and August and Edwards £2O.