View report page

At every Shop where a notice was not exhibited one was
left, the provisions of the Act were explained, and a signature
taken acknowledging its receipt. There cannot be any reasonable
excuse pleaded now if the Notice is not conspicuously
exhibited.
A re-inspection of the premises where a card was provided
by the Council was not completed at the close of the year.
Petroleum Acts, 1871-1879.— In accordance with these
Acts, 25 applications to keep Petroleum, one for Carbide of
Calcium, and one for Hydrocarbon were received during the
year, six being new licences and 19 renewals, all of which
were granted by the Council on the recommendation of the
Sanitary Committee. Nineteen of the applications were for
the keeping of Petrol, chiefly for use in connection with motorcars,
two for Benzoline, two for both Petrol and Benzoline,
and one for Hydrocarbon.
The premises have been inspected from time to time in
order to see that the conditions attached to the licences have
been carried out. The conditions are those which have been
suggested by the Home Secretary for the guidance of Local
Authorities, with modifications or additions as the circumstances
of the cases require.
During the year new regulations came into force which
were made by the Secretary of State under Section 5 of the
Locomotives on Highways Act, 1896, as to the keeping and
use of Petroleum for the purposes of light locomotives.
It was ordered, inter alia, that any person keeping
Petroleum in a store-house within twenty feet of any other
building should give notice in January of each year to the
Local Authority under the Petroleum Acts, and that they
should permit any authorised officer of the Local Authority
to inspect such petroleum spirit at any reasonable time.
It is unfortunate that the Local Authority have no means
of obtaining a complete list of motor-car owners, and
undoubtedly Petroleum is stored in many places without the
knowledge of the Local Authority.
By another Order in Council, dated 7th May, 1907, it
was ordered that a certain portion of the Petroleum Acts,
1871-1881, should apply to mixtures of petroleum. Where
these mixtures contain an undissolved sediment, as in the
cases of some metal polishes, which can be separated by filtration
or by settlement and decantation, the sediment may be so
separated and the decanted liquid may be tested in the manner
set forth in Schedule 1 to the Petroleum Act, 1879.
Where the Petroleum Mixture is such that sediment cannot
be separated by the afore-mentioned means, or where it is
36