FOUR BREACHES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 198, 22 August 1942, Page 6

FOUR BREACHES

PRICE REGULATIONS

COURT IMPOSES FIXES

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Fridav. John Tapp, in business at Lower Hutt, was fined £5 on each of four charges of breaches of Regulation 7 ric L e Stabilising Regulations, 1939. which fix standard prices for goods at the current rate at which they are being sold in a particular locality on September 1, 1939, unless tie subject of a price order or price agreed to by the Minister ®r Price Tribunal. There were seven charges, but after the hearing of one prosecution it was agreed to withdraw three on condition that defendant to save the time of the Court, agreed three £ u ''ty to the remaining

The case heard concerned the sale of a wrench for 19/6, whereas the price in 1939 was 12/9, and the wholesale price 9/. Counsel for defendant said that ,'fPP opened business in October, IJ4I, and as it was impossible to buy wholesale, he had toured the Dominion buying at retail prices, to which he added his profit before selling. His customers included Defence and other Government departments, and also numerous large Arms throughout the Dominion, ignorance of the regulations was submitted, and also that the regulations did not apply to wrenches. The Court held that the regula- * P s valid under the 1939 Act, and to make doubly sure it had been confirmed in 1941. With regard to the man's plea the Court said it v L a . s not prepared to say that defend- « uw not know - However dull he might be, or appear to be, he was not dull enough to realise the value of buying up goods in short supply. Also he had been interviewed, sent notices and written to, and must have been a semi-imbecile not to have understood.

In mitigation of the penalty counsel said the whole of defendant's stock was bought at prices above standard rates and by decision of the Court it would have to be disposed of at a heavy loss. Defendant was allowed six months in which to pav the fine. 1 J