DUTY ON PETROL LOST IN FIRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19201, 15 October 1930, Page 5

DUTY ON PETROL LOST IN FIRE.

IMPORTERS PETITION FOR REBATE ON £1663. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, October 14. As a sequel to the incendiary fires in Christchurch last year a petrol importing firm, Messrs D. H. Brown and Son, petitioned Parliament for a refund of the duty paid on a large quantity of petrol 1 which had been destroyed. The Public Petitions Committee, A to L reported to-day favourably, recommending the claim to the Government's attention. Mr Sullivan (Avon) pointed out that there was a precedent for refund, several sums having been voted in connection with an Auckland oil fire. The particular fire in .Christchurch was due to incendiaries and there was not the slightest doubt it would have been avoided if the Police Department had accepted the offer of the Christchurch City Council to provide vigilance police at that time. Petitioners paid £1663 duty on the lost petrol, though in the ordinary course of their business much of it would have gone into use on farms and not been subject to duty.

Mr Samuel (Thames) suggested that there were other cases of a similar nature which should be investigated. Mr Armstrong (Christchurch East) stated that the fire was caused by the unlawful acts of two young men. The petrol destroyed was replaced by importations, and it seemed like rubbing it in to require petitioners to pay duty twice over. If it was good for Auckland it was surely reasonable for Christchurch. Mr W. Nash (Ilutt) declared that a most dangerous precedent had been established. The House had already voted £IB2O refund to Auckland firms who lost petrol in a fire. If this practice were followed it would be necessary to investigate every fire and see how far the persons whose goods had been burned were entitled to a refund. Air Macpherson, chairman of the committee, replied that the petitioners were very reasonable. They asked for a refund of 4d duty, but did not require the primage of 1 per cent also paid by them. The committee in coming to its decision was not concerned whether it was one fire or half a dozen, but whether less petrol was consumed on the roads. The Ilighwaj-s Board would lose nothing by the Government adopting the committee’s recommendation. The report was adopted.