Magistrate’s Court Milk Vendor Fined For Giving False Information

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 7

Magistrate’s Court Milk Vendor Fined For Giving False Information

A milk vendor, Victor Beggs, had carried out “systematic frauds” in receiving a greater subsidy from the New Zealand Milk Board than he was entitled to,

said Mr A. C. Perry in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr Perry appeared for the board which prosecuted Beggs on charges of giving false information in applications to the board as to quantities of milk he had delivered, on March 9 and April 7. He was fined £l2 on each charge. A third charge relating to February 9 was adjourned to September 30. Mr B. J. Drake appeared for the defendant, who pleaded guilty to both charges. Mr Perry said that under the Milk Act vendors received margins from the board for each gallon of milk delivered, the margins ranging according to wholesale—over two gallon lots —or retail deliveries. Monthly returns had to be submitted. The retail and wholesale deliveries had to be distinguished on the forms provided. A greater subsidy was allowed on retail deliveries. Discrepancies were found in the defendant’s case with deliveries to “Holly-Lea,” which purchased the milk on a wholesale basis. It was found that by declaring less than half the total of milk delivered to “Holly Lea” in March and April as wholesale deliveries, he had been overpaid more than £3 in subsidies by the board. “Further investigation showed that between January, 1957, and March, 1959, he had been overpaid by £27 15s, which the defendant has since admitted, and paid back to the board,” said Mr Perry. Mr Drake said the milk industry was not as simple as Mr Perry had Suggested, and “seemed to be over-controlled by bureaucrats.” If a vendor took a certain amount

of milk and was not able to sell some because of a lesser demand from householders he lost Is a gallon. He stood to lose much more in a day than the subsidy claimed in a week, he said. Mr Drake said that if the £27 15s gained by the defendant between January, 1957, and March, 1959—about £ 1 a month — could be described as “systematic fraud” it was only on a minor scale. It was much less than income tax breaches which occurred regularly. ACCLIMATISATION OFFENCES “There is no doubt that peas were found in and around the pond in quite large numbers on May 2 and I can infer that they attracted game. The defence is that the peas were not placed there with the intention of attracting game but were incidental to farming operations and

the feeding of geese,” said the Magistrate. Alfred Wilton Amor, a farmer, of Rotherham, was fined £lO for placing peas on or near a pond with the intention of attracting game and his brother, Albert Richard Amor, an engineer, of Christchurch, was fined £lO for shooting over a pond which had been “fed” w’ithin the previous month. Both men, who were represented by Mr P. G. S. Penlington, pleaded not guilty. Albert Richard Amor, who pleaded guilty to a charge of shooting more paradise duck than permitted, was fined £5. Mr B. McClelland prosecuted for the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society which laid the charges. On the day the shooting season opened Albert Richard Amor was shooting ducks from a mia-mia on his brother’s property, the Magistrate said. He said that he did not know the peas were in the pond though he had to go into it several times to recover game. Even if the peas had been placed there for stock and geese the defendants would hardly be so naive as not to know that they would also attract game, said the Magistrate. REMAND ON THEFT CHARGE Arthur Peter Barris, aged 17, was remanded to today on a charge of theft of sports coats valued at £lO on August 28. Bail was allowed in his own recognisance of £5O, with a similar surety. PLACED RUBBISH ON ROAD For placing rubbish on Orchards road, Harewood, on June 21, John Barry Duggan was fined £l. He pleaded guilty. The Paparua County Council, which brought the prosecution, was represented by Mr R. Penlington. FAILED TO CLOSE SHOP For failing to close his shop at 37 Acheson avenue, Shirley, on Sunday, July 12, when nonexempted goods were exposed, Stanley Beaumont was fined £4. (Before Messrs E. J. Woolf and R. H. Harris, Justices of the Peace) COMMITTED FOR TRIAL A man, whose name was suppressed, was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court on a charge of stealing £47 10s, as a servant, on April 8. He was represented by Mr H. S. Thomas and elected trial by jury. Senior Detective-Sergeant J. B. McLean prosecuted. Accused was granted bail at £lOO with one surety of £lOO.