FINED £20 FOR THEFT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 93, 16 October 1914, Page 2

FINED £20 FOR THEFT

A packer named William George Moss, employed by Messrs. Kempthorne, Proper and Co., was charged before Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., to-day, with a series of thefts from his employers, alleged to ha.ye been committed over an extended period. A formidable list of articles was read out to accused, including bottles of scent, face powdor, pills, hand cream, and other like goods, to the total value of £16 2s Id. He pleaded guilty. ChiefDetective Broberg stated that the firm suspected extensive petty thefts, and Detective Demptey was deputed to make enquiries. One day he accosted Moss as the latter was leaving the stores, and a search revealed many of the articles referred to in the information. Accused's "bach" at Kilbirnie was then searched, and further property was recovered. There was every indication that other goods had been stolen. Accused was a single man, receiving a fair wage, and had a banking" account. There appeared to be no need fof him to oommit the theft. Mr. H. F.i O'Leary appeared for accused, and asked his Worship to impoee a fine. Tho case seemed to verge on one of kleptomania- His client hdd apparently taken the goods just for the love of taking. His Worship impqsod a fine of £20, in default ono month in gaol.

"Undoubtedy margarine is undermining butter in the English market," said Major Norton last night. He went on to say that if the butter producers Wanted to fight margarine, it was much better to get up and compete \vith_ it than to lie down and squeii about it. To endeavour to place restrictions on tho sale of margarine was an absurd thing to do, because it alienated the sympathies of the grocers who sold ifc, ami because it .would be entirely wrong to try to deprive the poorer classes of buyers of an extremely valuable form of food. He said that margarine firms adopted a wonderful advertising campaign ; he knew of no foodstuff which was better advertised ; and the proper way to deal with the problem was for New Zealand butter-producers to combine and organise a similar system to put butter on the market, to let the public know the qualities of the butter, to tell them just where they could buy it ; and, above all, to get it marketed as New Zealand butter, and not through the hands of blenders, who mixed it with inferior butter and destroyed its identity lyMessrs. Abraham and William?, undor instructions from Mr. Geo. Hanlon, will hold a sale of draught horses and contracting plant on 19th October. Messrs. Blake and Go. are selling somorrow, at thoir mart, S3, Cuba-street, at 1 4-5, a quantity of furniture and effects, also 7 cases Manchester goods. Mr. Joh E. Lindborg, draper, Cubastreet, Advertises goods *t special prices for to-morrow.