MUCH PETROL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 241, 13 October 1942, Page 4

MUCH PETROL

OBTAINED BY MAORI IN HAWKE’S BAY “CASE OF SABOTAGE.” STATESMAGISTRATE (P.A.) Napier, Oct. 12. “To my mind it is a case of sabotage,” commented Mr. ’.ki.ler S.n*., in vne Napier court, whey convicting a native, Whui Carroll a marzleu man with 12 chi.dren, ox three charges of obtaining oil iue. otherwise than for the purposes set out in app.ications made tj the Oil Fuel Controller. Carroll was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on the first two charges, cumulative, and fined £3U op the inird charge. Defendant pieaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant A. Mills, for tha prosecution, said that between January 5 and June 30, Carroll drew no less than 911 gallons of petrol, al leg edly to cut and haul firewood, and on his o'., n .-1(1:1'.'.. . : l ii quanl ii • used was sufficient to cut only 30 cords of wood, estimated by himself to be 15 gallons. On his own estimates he had misused 896 gallons since th” beginning of the year. Detective-Sergeant Mills said that • on October 24, 1941, Carroll was granted a licence for 50 gallons of petrol for cutting and hauling firewood at. Fernhill. Again, on November, 1941, defendant was granted a licence for 132 gallons. It was ascertained from Carroll that he actually used 155 gallons for wood cutting an I 27 gallons were used for other purposes. He admitted giving some to three other men. During December, 1941, Carroll became ill and did not cut any further firewood. On January 5 *he made application and was granted a licence for 132 gallons oi petrol. On February 17 he was granted a further licence lor 251 gallons of fuel. On April 1 he was granted 176 gallons and on May 11 and June 2 similar amounts were granted. It would bo noticed, said DetectiveSergeant Mills, that defendant was charged with the offences relating to April, May and June, 1342, although the facts disclosed that the offences took place over a longer period. However, the time limit for laying informations had expired and defendant could not be charged with the other offences. Detective-Sergeant Mills added that Carroll wrote, to the controller asking that the licence be increased to 352 gallons a month. At that time, he was receiving 176 gallons a month. As a result of the letter, TrafficInspector C. J. Robinson arranged with Carrol I to visit the scene of the wood-cutting and chock on the petrol consumption. Carroll then discovered that he had an urgent appointment at Wairoa and failed to keep the appointment. Later he was arrested at Clive. He made a confession that he had used much of the petrol for his own running about and had given away some 250 gallons. Continuing, Detective - Sergeant Mills said that Carroll, on April 16, was granted a disability pension of £llO a year for total disability. During the period from April to June, Carroll drew 528 gallons of petrol, allegedly to cut and haul firewood. Yet he was in receipt of a pension for total disability and was certified unfit for any manual work. Carroll had stated, said the detective-sergeant., that he know that, the petrol was not going to be used for wood-cutting and had adopted the tactics as it was a good way of getting petrol. “I might say, sir. it is undoubtedly the worst case of its kind to come before the court in the district, and I doubt if a more serious case has occurred in New Zealand up to the present time,” said Detective-Ser-geant Mills, addressing the magistrate. Mr. E. V. Simpson, counsel for defendant, said the case would have been worse had it been a European who was involved. Mr. Simpson dwelt on the communal ways of Maoris. Ho said Carroll was uneducated and had no real sense of figures. Carroll had no lorry of his own and borrowed vehicles from relatives. Defendant did not see anything wrong in giving petrol to men from whom he borrowed the lorries. Counsel said he could not understand the controller granting petrol to a Maori not in business ami with no vehicles of his own. Carroll had been hilled into a sense of security with the ease with which he obtained petrol. Mr. Miller, commenting, said that the fact that a native should obtain large quantities of petrol to be frittered away was a matter lor the authorities to look into and, if necessary, the regulations should be tightened up. Carroll had not only received a large quantity of petrol but had the impudence to ask tnat it be increased. Subsequently, three natives, Kore Tuna, of Fernhill, Broughton David Edwards, of Bridge Pah, and Dudley Cyril August, of Waimarama, we'ie charged with breaches of the Oil Fuel Regulations. Detective-Sergeant Mills said the defendants loaned trucks to Carroll and obtained petrol on Carroll's licence. Mr. Simpson, for defendants, said they obtained the petrol from Carroll in payment for- the loan of trucks. Carroll, in evidence, said he had tiffed the tanks of the trucks for defendants when he had been returning them. He had tilled tanks holding 19 gallons on five occasions for each defendant. Mr. Simpson said the offence was Carroll’s, not defendants’. Mr. Miller said the petrol was not obtained under the terms of Carroll’s licence. Defendants could not accept petrol instead of money. “If people did that we would have no petrol in the country in no time, ’ said Mr. Miller. Tuna was convicted and fined £lO, and August and Edwards were each convicted and fined £2O.