EXTRA PETROL COUPONS

Grey River Argus, 17 May 1943, Page 5

EXTRA PETROL COUPONS

WOULD NOT DISCLOSE SOURCE OF GIFT.

INVERCARGILL, May 7.

Tn a reserved decision delivered m the Magistrate’s Court to-day, Mr R C Abernethy, S.M.. convicted and imposed a fine of £l5 on Edric Ivan Heads, a tobacconist, for failing to complv with the requirement of the district oil fuel controller that he should furnish the names and addresses of the persons from whom he had obtained petrol coupons. In his judgment, the magistrate said he did not think the defendant’s explanation that he had been made a gift of coupons was borne out by the evidence. The defence, that a gift of petrol coupons, being, a legal transaction, could not. be inquired into was ingenious, but he held that it was unsound. If for such reason an inquiry into the use of petrol could not be made the effect of the regulations would be nullified. “The oi fuel controller has not proceeded upon a mere technical breach, but has asked the defendant for his explanation of a clearly excessive and possibly illegal use of petrol, said the magistrate. “The controller has sufficiently checked the matter to ascertain that, prima facie, it is much more than trivial, and in my opinion he has proceeded .not only with circumspection, but with reasonableness.” The magistrate said he would not inflict a heavy penalty in his first prosecution, but he would treat any further similar cases as contumacious and impose a much heavier penalty. If his view of the matter was wrong, it could be, and he hoped it would be, set right on appeal. He said that not because he did not. hold a strong view of the matter, but because the issue was important.