PETROL I STORAGE PROBLEMS.
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Fifty-year-old Legislation Which Needs Amendment.
THE NEED • fer amending legislation with regard to the storage of petroleum is _urged by a speCial committee of the Society of Inspectors of Weights and Measures, which states that the Petroleum Act, 1871, has now been in force for a period of fifty years. In the first place it was passed subject to its being, reconfirmed by Parliament annually, but -its permanent operation was secured by an Act of 1879.
The need • for amendinent of the legislation ' governing the storage of petroleum has been a pressing question. for many years, and considerable evidence has been collected, from ad. ministrative, industrial, commercial and private interests, • showing that an
• .amending Act is long overdue.
The first section which would seem to require consideration is Section 4 of the. 1871 Act. The suggested amendment is intended to supersede the Locomotives on Highways Act., 1896; in respect to the Secretary of State's regulations thereunder relating to the keeping of petroleum for use on light locomotives,and. to provide for regulations being: made under the amended Petroleum Act.
Section 7, in conjunction with Section 4, is intended to make the keeping of petroleum subject only to the-provisions of this Act and the regulations which may be made thereunder.
Section 8. Tho effect of this amendment is to eliminate excessive decentralization regarding local administration.
Seaton 9. -Under the existing law
local authorities may charge a sum not exceeding 5s. in respect of each licence. At the time of the passing of the 1871 Act that sum, no doubt, was ample. But now, there are installations where upwards of 3,000,000 gallons of petroleum
spirit are stored. The tulle -and responsibility taken in viewing Sites, examining plans, discussing and niaking reports and .periodical • inspections, especially with re-gar d to -large
is somewhat costly, and the cornriattnity should not bear the whole cost. The fees suggested are a mere bagatelle for most firms concerned.
It has been presumed that a licence granted to a person should cover all the substances kept under the Act. But large firms have frequently installed important plants and stores on premises of considerable area,, under varying conditions and for various purposes, and to say that all their holding is liable to forfeiture in the..case of a breach of the Act at one store-house would be ob• vionsly harsh and undesirable, and to grant licences for each store which is subject to different departmental management and icsponsibility is not inconsistent -with this seation. ITOwever, combined licences are desirable when the stores are on the same premises and the general conditions reasonable.
The suggestions with regard to Sectiotis Il and 12 merely extend the application of these sections to persons keeping
petroleum for sale or otherwise instean of to dealers only. Petroleum and substances to which the Act applies are now kept and used in such large and varied quantities and for such3 varied purposes that the present, limitations should be
removed. •
Section 13. This .section. as it stands, requires that where ihere sirs reasonable grounds to believe that any petroleum is being kept in contravention of--the Act:a Court of Summary Janis-diction, if satisfied by information -on oath, shall grant a warrant entitling the person named therein' to enter the place and to search and to seize, etc. This procedure is unwarrantably dilatory and cumbersome; like the remainder of the Act., it probably answered its purpose 50 years ago. Occasions arise when it is desirable that prompt action he taken.
With regard to petroleum kept under the Secretary of States Regulations, the person keeping same should, in certain circumstances, notify the local authority of the fact, and do so annually on Jam]. cry -1st. This obligation, however, is scarcely ever carried out, and, whilst the plea. of .ignorance is alwayssub-. mitted, it is -generally obviots that the obligation has more or less been ignored. Petroleum, in such cases, has at times been found under exceedingly dangerous conditions, and, ais voluntary submission to regulations has ignominiously failed, obligatory supervision should be established.