Council's Attitude on Prevention Short Measure In Just week's issue of the Muni cipal Gazette, the matter of inspection and' testing of gasoline jumps ae Shanghai garages supplying petrol for motor cars, is dealt with by the Council in correspon ence between them and Messrs. Beck ani Swann, secretaries of the Automobile Club of China, Remedy in Hands of Purchasers This is a recurrence of a discussion which started in 1925, when the Committee of the Automobile Club put forth for the Council's consideration, the question of the urgent necessity to introduce bye-Jaws dealing with the testing of weights and measures, The recom tion followed upon the pub-ties in America, that more than' 20 per cent. of public service pumps were delivering short measure in America at that time, In reply to the Club's recom= mendation, the Council pointed out that it had no powers such as were vested in English Municipat authorities by the Weights and Measures Act of 1878, that the installation of pumps was not sub-Ject to municipal licence and that the Council, therefore, had no control over their use, It appeared to the Council that the remedy for the alleged short measure laid in the hands of the purchasers.
The Byelaw Contention The Committee of the Automobite Club contended that Bye-law 35 of the Bye-laws published in 1928, em powered the Council to regulate the Sale of potrol, and that such sale had been regulated by licences. (In reply to this, a letter dated March 1925, by the Council, stated that Bye-law 35 was intended a safety measure in respect of "dangerous and inflammable materi als, namely, those which on account of fire or explosion may endanger life or property," and not thority for controlling their sal
of gasoline pumps would necossita Moreover, the period inspect fan increase in the personnel of the Police force and it is not consider-fed that the whole community could be asked to shoulder the expense for the benefit of motorists only, especially as no question, either of the safety or health of the public is involved," the letter said further. The Council, therefore, found no necessity for a change in ite attitude, In November, 1927, the issue was taken up once more' by the Seeretaries of the Automobile Club in an endeavour to get the Council to falter its decision regarding the testing of gasoline public delivery pumps. 'This correspondence published' in "yesterday's Municipal Garette points out that the number Alling stations has increased considerably, and is. likely to me crease still further in the future, fand that it was the opinion of the Committee that some sort of control should be exercised over the livery installation which would ensure correct measure being givens The Council Adamant 'A reply to this by the Counelt stated 128 unwillingness still to undertake a general inspection of gasoline pumps throughout Shanghai, for reasons practically the same as in 1925. Letters had been addressed to the companies respon. sible for the installation of these pape by the Council, with a view to obtaining evidence' which might Justify modification of the Couneis. attitude, Replying to these inquiries, the companies had stated that they were constantly: on the alert to prevent malpractices this kind, end that the measure mechanism of their pumps sealed and could not easily be tam= ered with, In addition, frequent inspection had proved to their satis. faction that attempts to alter the adjustment were hardly ever made, The Council did, however, indicate to Messrs, Beck and Swann, to inspect any particular pump declared by the Automobile Club of China to be delivering short measure, upon receipt of note. from the Chab
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.