STREET PETROL PUMPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19255, 18 February 1926, Page 10

STREET PETROL PUMPS.

YEARLY RENTAL SUGGESTED. ONE TREE HILL DISCUSSION, i LEGAL ADVICE TO BE SOUGHT. LAn animated discussion took place at a meriting of the One Tree Hiii Road Board last evening, when an application for permission to erect three kerbside petrol pumps was received. The chairman, Mr. R. G. Clark, said he thought the matter called for concerted action by local bodies. He did not think any should break away and make a decision for itself. He suggested the matter should be deferred to see what action the City Council took at its meeting this evening. A Member: Why not refer the matter to the Local Bodies' Association ? The Chairman: I know many local bodies are waiting to see what the City Council does. A Member: Are we to take a lead from the City Council ? The Chairman;: aS'ofc necessarily. Question of Public Benefit. A suggestion was made that the permits should be granted subject to a month's notice. Mr. J. Dawson, engineer to the board, said that once the pumps were up it would be a difficult matter for the owner to take them down. The Member: The city has given permits for one month. I suggest that permission should be given for the erection of one pump. Mr. Clark; I can well see the difficulties of these fellows. They want more than one pump to supply different brands of petrol. If the installing of kerbside pumps is going to be of any benefit to the motorist I would not give the question two minutes' thought. The question is, are the public (going to benefit? The price of benzine has already been raised. Rental o:l £lO a Year. A Member: Could we not impose a rental on the pumps ? Mr. Dawson: ][ think the board could. I would suggest .;it should charge a rental o£ £lO a year on each bowser. Ido not think.this would be out of the way. The Chairman: To my mind it is a very good suggestion. It appeals to me. . Mr. Dawson said the oil companies were charging £l.O a year rent for the use of pumps. If the dealers were wj'.ing to pay tli.nl to the companies they could afford to pay it to the Road Board. Ho thought it would be a good idea if dealers were mad?) to pay £lO for a joermit- and £lO a year rent thereafter. "Wt? do not want to make a hasty decision and rush right into it," said Mr. Clark, in moving that the question should be placed in the hands of the board's solicitors. The resolution was carried unanimously. Regulations Regarding Pumps. Earlier in the evening a letter was read from an oil company asking for a copy of all the board's regulations regarding kerbside punipu. "We have no .regulations," said the chairman. "This thing has onlv been before usi a few weeks, and we could not be expected to ha.va regulations already." A Member? W© cannot' legislate in five minutes. It was'decided to write to the'company informing it that the board had no regulations governing kerbside pumps. '