OIL FUEL REGULATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 May 1942, Page 4

OIL FUEL REGULATIONS

WELLINGTON PROSECUTIONS

WELLINGTON, May 11

One hundred and eight informations alleging breaches of the Oil Fuel Regulations, against nearly 40 persons, were called before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M. to-day. Some of the defendants pleaded guilty. Others elected summary trial, and pleaded not guilty, and some elected trial by jury. Reference was made by the police to the existence of a “black market’’ in motor spirit, and a “sub-black market" on which petrol, bought from a service station for 2/71. had been resold for 6/- a gallon. All the informations arose from police observation of the petrol station of Young and Bell, Ltd., Thorndon. In a number of cases, adjournments were granted. Those defendants found guilty or who pleaded guilty, will be dealt wrth to-morrow morning.

Senior-Sergeant G. Paine, prosecuting, said that 108 informations had been laid. All were concerned with what was known as the “black market.” It was fairly widely known, and it had been carried on for some time, and extensively at that. The position was that over a period of three and ahalf days, police observation at this particular station revealed that 402 gallons of petrol were sold unlawfully, and 302 gallons lawfully. In all, there were 35 persons charged with unlawfully purchasing petrol-from the station. Five of that number were also prosecuted for failure to supply information to the police regarding the purchase of oil fuel.---P.A.