MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24712, 1 November 1945, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

4ft WEDNESDAY (Before Mr Haymond Ferner, S.M.) PRISON TERM IMPOSED John Francis •Harnett, a labourer, aged 21, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of stealing £lO in money, the property of Ronald Robinson. On each of four other charges of theft, he was convicted and discharged. The goods stolen were: £6 in money, the property of Allan Hislop Carey; clothing valued at £3 3s, the property of Brian Michael Hey; a coat valued at £5 ss, the property of Owen Farrell; and a bicycle, valued at £5, the property of Frederick Cutts Walker. For the police, Detective-Sergeant A. A. Herron said that Harnett had been dismissed from a racing stable at Riccarton on September 29, and before leaving had entered the rooms of Hey and Farrell and "stolen clothing belonging to them. Later he had stolen the money from Robinson, a fellow employee on a farm at Marshland where he had obtained employment. He had borrowed the bicycle from Walker, and had failed to return it. He had sold it to a dealer for £2 10s. Accused had called on Carey, a crippled returned soldier. Carey had given him £6 to buy a gramophone he had seen advertised, and accused had spent the money. Accused said he had been put out of the stables because he was on probation He thought it should not have happened, and if he had not been put out, the offences with which he was charged would not have occurred. BREACHES OF PRICE ORDER Three butchers, Statham Kerrison, of 299 S.elwyn street, Frederick Webb, of 422 Colombo street, and Charles George MoElroy, of 468 Colombo street, were charged with offering goods at prices not in conformity with the Price Order relating to such goods under the Control of Prices Emergency Regulations. Kerrison (Mr A. N. Mackay) pleaded guilty to offering, on May 25, of prime rib rolled and boneless first grade beef at 3s Id,- an overcharge of 2Jd; and also on May 25, of offering 3Jlb of thick end leg second grade mutton at 2s 6d, an overcharge of 4d.

Mr J. D. Hutchison appeared for, the Price Tribunal..

Mr Mackay said that the visit of the inspectors had taken place comparatively late in the afternoon, and the beef had been cut at about 10 a.m. The difference m price amounted to a weight of about 2oz and most of that could be accounted for by the amount of blood which had run out in the meantime. There had been no intention to offend. The a'lleged offences had occurred on May 25, and the prosecutions were delayed for five months The Magistrate: Why were the prosecutions delayed for five months? Mr "Hutchison: The matter was under consideration with other charges in the head office of the Price Tribunal at Wellington, and the facts were being fully considered there.

Kerrison was. fined £5 on each of the two charges. . '• Webb pleaded not guilty to offering on May 18, Bib 12oz of whole forequarter of second-grade mutton at 3s Bd. an overcharge of Bd. and to offering on the same date, 71b loz. of the same goods at 2s lOd. an overcharge of 5Jd. McElroy pleaded not' guilty to offering, on May 18, 61b of forequarter of firstgrade lamb at 5s 6d, an overcharge of 6d, and on October 12, of offering 81b of whole forequarter of first grade hogget mutton at 5s 3d, an overcharge of Is 2d. Mr R. A. Young, who appeared for Webb and McElroy, said that a universal complaint had been made by butchers that they were paying, more for their meat than they were allowed to sell it at, and the Government had been asked for Increased subsidies. These had since been granted. Two subsidies had been granted since May, when the alleged offences occurred. There had been, he said, a clear recognition by the Government, and by the Price Tribunal that the prices in May were insufficient, and It seemed strange that after admitting the butchers' contentions, the charges had been preferred. The difficulty was that there was no control of prices at abattoirs and they were soaring all the time. Control was only at the consumer's end. The Magistrate: It is disturbing that these prosecutions have been withheld five months, pending some negotiations. Mr Hutchison: With the channels they nave to go through, the time for these cases is usually three months. The Magistrate: In simple factual cases such as these, five months, or even three months, is far too long. Each of the accused was fined £5 on each charge.