INCORRECT SCALES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 175, 11 May 1929, Page 7

INCORRECT SCALES.

DAIRY COMPANY FINED.

(Special to the "Guardian.") GRBYMOUTH, May 10

A case uncommon in the district was Leard at tfie Magistrate's Court, Hokitika, yesterday. The inspector of weights and .measures (Mr A. D. Sned4§n) proceeded against the. Westland Cool Storage and Dairy Company, Ltd.. on the grounds that they had in their possession for use for trade an incorrect weighing machine, contrary to the provisions of the Weights and Measures Act, 1925. Mr J. Murdoch appeared for the company and admitted the breach as set out in the information. Mr Sneddon said that for the past eighteen months he had been endeavouring to obtain satisfaction in connection with this scale. During this period he had tested the scale three times, but never once with satisfactory results. About twelve months ago he received a letter from the manager admitting that the scale would not remain accurate and intimating the company's intention to purchase a new one before the coming season. Since that date the manager had been approached on different occasions, and Btill the desired result had not been achieved. The inspector stated that he paid a surprise visit to the factory and tested the machine between 561 b and 2001 b. On the lower weights, the scale recorded a deficiency of l|lb, increasing to 2|lb on the higher weights. He pointed out that these would show an average deficiency of to 21b tor «yery can of cream weighed on behalf of the company. Mr Murdoch stated that he would endeavour to prove to the Court that the breach was not as serious as that alleged by the prosecution. He maintained that, owing to the working of the scale, they could prove that there was just as much likelihood of the machine having recorded excess weights as deficiencies. H J Parry, manager of the defendant "company, gave evidence as to the efforts made by him to place the scale in a satisfactory working condition, and also his late efforts to obtain a new scale of what he deemed to be of a satisfactory type. He stated that after some negotiations with a scale company he had at last succeeded and £ laced an order for a machine in which © had confidence. . Witness questioned the methods adopted by the Department in testing his scale, maintaining that the dencieney recorded in the inspector s test -would not necessarily be present in actual practice. In giving judgment Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., stated that the most outstanding feature was the fact that the inspector had been negotiating for 18 months in an endeavour to have the scale rectified. During this period the manager admitted knowledge of the fact that the scale was not performing satisfactorily. A fine of £3 was inflicted, with Court costs 10s and inspector's expenses ss.