PETROL RUSH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 96, 24 April 1942, Page 6

PETROL RUSH

START OF PACIFIC WAR

COURT CASES FOLLOW

The "unpatriotic attempts" of motorists to get all the petrol they could on the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour was

blamed by counsel in the Magis-

trate's Court today for the offence committed by Burke Bros., Ltd.,

garage proprietors, who pleaded

guilty before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M.,

to unlawful sale of oil fuel,

"On December 8, consequent upon Japan entering the war, there was an extraordinary rush by motorists to service stations to purchase petrol," said Detective-Sergeant W. McLennan, who prosecuted. Burke Bros, had a licence issued to Yeatts and Company for 33 gallons a month, he said, and on this date the licence was overdrawn by about four gallons. It was all drawn at a time when there was an emergency, and the matter was looked upon as-serious.:

Counsel, Mr. A.1 Hollings; said that the Court. would remember. the state of affairs, that existed at service stations in the. city on. December 8, as a result of the rush and'-scramble and general unpatriotic attempt on the part of motorists to.get all the petrol they could, rightly or wrongly. The selling system of licences was somewhat cumbersome, and quite unworkable in times of rush. The issuing of the extra four gallons was a : pure mistake, and it was a small amount to be unaccounted for on such a. day. •

The average daily sales for November, 1941, amounted to 180 gallons at the station, said counsel, but until 3 p.m. on December 8 the figures for that day had totalled 1783 gallons— approximately ten times as much petrol as was sold in a normal day.

The Magistrate said that in the circumstances it looked more like a mistake, and he would impose a fine; of £2 and costs.

Yeatts and Co., Ltd., pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful use of oil fuel, .the offence arising out of the