SEED MERCHANT SUMMONED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 69, 22 March 1928, Page 10

SEED MERCHANT SUMMONED.

PROSECUTION 1 RT MINISTRY

OP AGRICULTURE.

QUEER CASE.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

LONDON, February 3. '

Herbert j. C. Knight, a corn and seed merchant, of London Road, Bromley, Kent, made another appearance before the Bromley magistrates yesterday on a summons for attempting to obtain from John Harvey, of Xonington, near Dover, £393 18/ by falsely pretending that a quantity of seed was genuine old pasture Kent wild white clover. He had already been committed to the Kent Assizes on a summons relating to a transaction In clover seed with a Dunmow, Essex, firm.

It was submitted by Mr. W. Stuart Bates, for the Ministry of Agriculture, who prosecuted, that the seed was of New, .Zealand origin and not grown.; .

Mr.; F. C. Wynn Wernick, who defended, was unable to complete his crossexamination of one of the witnesses who is ill,, and the Bench proceeded with a further summons against Knight for obtaining £388 15/ from Henry.Filmer, Limited, Sittingbourne, Kent, by falsely pretending that & quantity of seed was Kentish old pasture wild white clover. "The allegation of the prosecution," said Mr. Stuart Bates, opening the case, "is that Knight was- planning to carry out a complete fraud on the seed trade by selling New Zealand seed instead of Kentish."

. Frank; Eric New,, of Leigh-on-Sea, a director of the firm of C. W. Le. May, Limited, said that on September 2, he mw Knight at.the Corn Exchange, Mark I*ne. Knight suggested to him that he could sell New Zealand wild white clover serf, and that they should enter into a -joint account for purchasing)a quantity of the seed. " Knight was to sell the seed fcnd C. W. Le May, Limited, were to receive half the subsequent profit. He bought a quantity of seed at 2/ a pound, and on the following day Knight wrote saying that he had sold it at 6/ a pound. He did not know that Knight was selling the Seed as Kent wild white clover seed, and as soon as this came to his knowledge he placed all the facts before the Ministry. He had since heard that Knight actually sold the seed for 6/3 a pound and had failed to account to the firm for £15 or £16.

Knight was committed to the s Kent Assizes on both summons. The court adjoined until Tuesday next when a further summons will be heard.