PETROL SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 253, 13 July 1918, Page 9

PETROL SUPPLIES

TO BE REGULATED BY THE STATE MAXIMUM PRICES FIXED ' ;r )i' A Gazette Extraordinary published •> yostcrday contains regulations as to the V" importation, snip, and distribution oJ' IB petrol, 'j'lio schedule etat<?s: —• ji Tlie insulations contained in this ~. schedule may bo cited as tho Petrol Ke--15 filiations. r- In this schedule- "Minister in '• Charge" means a member of the Execu--11 tive Council cliargod by the Governor- '.' B General with the administration of the K . L'etrol Regulations: "Board of Trade" ;o means the Board of Trade established !0 under tho Cost of Living Act, 1!)15: t; "Petrol" means and includes petrol, bon- '" zine, motor spirit, .naphtha, gasolene, l " distillate, naphthalate, and every other form or product of petroleum (with the ™ exception of bcnzoline) which gives oft' h an inflammable vapour at a temperature y of less than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, e All powers and authorities conferred u by theso regulations on the Board of >t Trade may be exercised by any two mem- " bers of that board. !t For the assistance of the Minister in ( , Charge and tho Board of Trade in the e exercise of .the powers and authorities conferred by these regulations there shall n bo an advisory committee, to be known k as the Petrol Committee, which shall ii consist of such representatives of thos<j '■ w.ho are engaged in the business of imF porting or selling petrol as the Minister [J in Charge, on tho recommendation of the Board of Trade, may from timo to time, appoint, to hold office during his 1 pleasure. s Importation of Petrol, J No petrol shall be imported into j New Zealand except in pursuance of an c import license issued to the importer by 1 the Minister in Ghargo on tho recommendation of the Board of Trade, t livery such import license shall he e revocable at the will of the Minister in '• Charge. 0 Any such import license may either 0 relate to a specific consignment of pet--0 rol, or may bo a, general authority to r import petrol during the currency of 1 tho license, with.or without any resh'ic--3 tion as to quantity, time, or port of im- " portation. I No such import license shall bo granted to any importer until the iraD porter has entered into a written agreec ihent with the Ministor in Charge, on 1 behalf of the Crown containing the terms • and conditions following, together with I any other terras or conditions which the "_ Minister on the advice of the Board of i Tj-ado thinks necessary for the duo coni trol of the importation, sale, supply, or • distribution of petrol:— [ (a) That the agreement will remain in force during tho currency of tho license and until tho licensee haa disposed of all petrol imported in pursuance thereof: 'i (b) tlir.t tlie licensee will, when he 3 deals with a consumer, limit that > consumer to n quantity of petrol not 1' exceeding four weeks' supply, or such f greater or less supply as may bo : determined upon from timo to timo j by tho Minister in charge on tho , advice of tho Board of Trade: (e) That tiie licensee will, when he deals with a wholesale, or retail distributor, limit that distributor to n , quantity of potrol not exceeding four weeks' siipply, or such greater or 1 Ics3 supply as may be determined '■ from time to timo by the Minister ; in charge on the advice of the Board ! of Trade: \ (d) That when the licensee knows or has reasonable grounds to suspect- . that a consumer or distributor is already in possession of more'than tko supply specified in the two last preceding paragraphs, ho will refuso to supply that consumer or distributor with any further petrol during such period as will reasonably suffice to reduce his stocks to tho quantity so prescribed: (e) That flip licensee in supplying petrol will give preference to those requiring it for essential uses as defined by tho Minister in charge, on tho advice of the Board of Trado: (f) That tho licensee will keep ac-.. curate records of all sales of petrol, and will permit] such records to be inspected tit all limes by any officer authorised for that purpose by the Jlinister in charge: (g) That id: the request of the Minister in charge the licensee will refuse supplies of petrol to any consumer or distributor until that consumer or distributor lias furnished to the Minister such particulars as lie may require with regard to tho holding, . disposition, or uso of supplies of Setrol by that consumer or dislriu!or: (h) 'Hint the licensee will not soil petrol at prices in excess of those which may be- approved from time to lime >>y iV/ Board of Trade: (i) That the liceiiseo will from timo In lime as required make to the Minister in charge or to tlie Board of Trade, such returns iclativo tu the business of the licensee in regard to potrol as the Minister or board may require for the purpose of Iho c.n'cotive control of the importation, pale, supply, or distribution «t petrol, cii;ch returns lo be verified by statutory declaration-if required. (j) That before the issue of any Kuril license the licensee vvill give security to Iho Crown for the diie observance of tho forms nnd conditions of such agreement in tho sum of .£SOO, or such lesser sum as the Minister may on the iulyico of tlie Board of Trade think sufficient, such security 'to bo given by tho deposit, money with tho Minister in charge, or in such othor manner as the Minister on the advice of tho Board of Trado may think sufficient: (k) That is any dispute arises between the licensee and (ho Minister in charge as to the interpretation or effect of such agreement, or as to any breach thereof' by tho 'icensee, tho dispute shall bo referred lo the Board of Trade, whoso decision shall be final. Purchase of Petrol. Savo in pursuanco of a distributing licenso issued by the Minister in charge on the recommendation of tho Board of Trade, it shall not be lawful for any person to acquire under a contract of sale or otherwise (whether such contract is made before or after the coining into operation of theso regulations) the ownership or possession of more than four thousand gallons of petrol at ono timo (other than potrol imported by himsolf). Tho exercise by any person of any powers of disposition over any petrol not then already in tho ownership or possession of that person shall be deemed to be nn acquisition of tho possession thereof within the meaning of this regulation. All petrol the ownership or possession of which is acquired by any person, wliet/ier from tho same or froui different persons, within any period of twentvciglit nays, shall k> deemed to liavo been acquired at one timo within the meaning in this regulation. A licenso granted under this part of theso regulations shall bo levocablo at tho will of flic Minister in charge. Any such license may be granted on such terms and conditions, whether as to the. disposition of the petrol lo bo so acquired i.r otherwise, as the Minister !ii <:iian?<! on (lie advice of the Board of Irado Hunks necoswy in the public interest for the due control of the sale, iiiijiply, or distribution of petrol. I'ho Board of Trade may from timo to time require any person lo mako to tho bOßrd ii return of all slocks of petrol lield by him, and it shall be the duty of that person forthwith lo make sucli return accordingly, verified, if the board so requires by. a'statutory declaration. livery per-™ shall he guiliv of an offence and .shall Ijr liable ,md«r the War Regulations Act, li)ll, accordingly who(<i) Acquires the ownershiu or possession of petrol in breach of the provisions of this part of these reguilations; or (b) Commits any breach of the terms or conditions on which a license has been granted lo him under this part of these regulations; Or (c) Obtains any such license on a false representation; or (d) Pails to make any return required from him in pursuance of these regulations; or

(o) Makes any such return which is falso in any respect; or (f) Makes any falso representation for tho puvpose of .obtaining a supply of petrol from any other perKon. Price of Petrol, In thifi part of these regulations— The term "Class A" means petrol, motor-spirit, benzine, naphtha, and gasolone. Tho term "Class B" means distil- . lato and naphthalate. The term "port" means a port of ontoy under the Customs Act, 1913. The maximum retail pnoo of petrol at the ports named in tho following table shall bo the prico set out in that table. At Auckland, Wellington, Chrislchurch, and Dunedin. Per caso Per tin of not of not Less than less than less than & gal. 8 gal. i gal. per gal. s. d. s. d. 8. d. Class A 27 6 13 fl 3 6 Class B l>2 6 11 3 3 0 At Napier and Timam. Class A 28 0' 14 6 3 7 Class B 23 0 11 G 3 1 At Wanganui, Now Plymouth, and Gisborne. Class A 29 0 II I 3 9 Class B 21 0 12 0 • 3 3 At Invercargill. Class H 20 (J 11 9 3 9 Class B 2't (i 12 3 3 3. At any place other than the aforesaid ports the maximum retail prico of petrol shall be the maximum retail price fixed as aforesaid for tho port from which tho seller customarily obtains his supply of petrol, or where there is no such customary port of supply, then for the nearest port, together in each case with such addition to tho maximum retail prico for that port as is equivalent to the actual cost of trnnsporttaion from that port to the place of pale.