Police and Petrol Rationing
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X4902200408 |
| Date | 01 October 1949 |
| Author | James Stanton |
| Published date | 01 October 1949 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
286
THE
POLICEDOURNAL
Penalties"
described in Section 5(I) and (3)
that
may be imposed on
private motorists who commit offences,
but
which cannot apply unless
either (a) within z8 days of the commission of the offence notice was
given to that person warning him that the question of prosecuting
him for an offence under Section 2of this Act would be taken into
consideration, or, (b) within three months of the commission of the
offence a summons for the offence was served on that person.
Also, it
must
not
be forgotten that a copy of the Analyst's Certifi-
cate must be served on the defendant when proceedings are being
taken against him and
not
less than seven days before the hearing,
otherwise the Certificate cannot be used as evidence.
Police and Petrol Rationing
By
CONSTABLE
JAMES.
STANTON
Metropolitan Police
AMONG the many extra duties which, as direct result of the second
World War, have fallen to the lot of Police to understand and
administer, perhaps none has caused so much difficulty and con-
troversy as the law relating to the use of motor fuel.
In
order to execute one's duty efficientlywith regard to the enforce-
ment of a particular law or set of regulations, it is an advantage not
only to acquire a good working knowledge of the legislation in question,
but
also to be able to appreciate the reason for such legislation being
made.
Let
it be said at once that it is not intended here to deal in full
with the Motor Spirit (Regulation) Act and the accompanying Motor
Fuel (Control) Order,
but
rather to discuss the salient features of each
in so far as they affect the policeman in the street.
Petrol rationing together with its attendant offences first came into
prominence during the war with Germany, when enemy submarines
and aircraft made the transport of petroleum spirit from foreign shores
to the United Kingdom ahazardous and far from simple operation.
Under
the conditions
then
prevailing, it was easy to realise the need for
some system of petrol rationing, and little sympathy was wasted on
those persons found transgressing the laws thus made.
With
the
cessation of hostilities and in the ensuing years there has
been an understandable desire on the part of most people to return to
those days when petrol and other commodities in short supply could be
purchased more or less freely.
The
scars of war are not easily erased
however. Many thousands of tons of British shipping had been lost;
the price of keeping these islands and its armies abroad supplied with
the necessities required was a heavy one. Heavier still was
the
cost
To continue reading
Request your trial