FUEL COUPONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1943, Page 5

FUEL COUPONS

CONTROLLER’S POWER LIMITED.

WELLINGTON. May 21. The view that inquiries made by the Oil Fuel Controller must be limited to actual fuel and that a motorist who has been given coupons by friends is not obliged to declare the source from which he obtained them, is expressed in a reserved judgment by the Magistrate (Mr. Gqulding), who dismissed an information charging Frederick Edward Shortland with failing to give such information.

He said it seemed clear to him that the powers given the Controller were aimed at the control of the importation, sale, distribution, and use of oil fuel: in other words, it was fuel that came under control. Defendant could properly be asked the stations from which he had drawn the fuel. That information was given, but he did not think the Controllei’ had the right to demand the names of the persons who had quite lawfully handed over coupons. Defendant was fined £5 on a charge of using lighting kerosene for the propulsion of a motor vehicle. On another charge the Magistrate found that a driver using a mixture of benzine and lighting kerosene dida not have to lodge a declaration of the miles travelled.