WRONGFUL SALE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 18 December 1928, Page 4

WRONGFUL SALE

A BUTCHER IN COURT (From "The Port's" Representative.) LONDON, 2nd November. ' During tho past two or three Voar's Mr. B. S. ftirsyth (London manager of the Meat Producers' Board) has had reported to him a number of casifa of butchers.soiling foreign mutton or iWb as New Zealand meat. The difficulty has been to procure the necessary legal proof for a prosecution. A few days ago, however, he was successful in this respoet, the evidence being given Iby an officer of the board and his wilfe. Tor a successful prosecution, by wic way, it is necessary that a woman should make tho purchase. , The prosecution was against Tom Tweed, butcher, of Ashton-under-Lynt. The official of the board and his wifu made a, purchase at the defendant's Market Street shop in Ashton, definite* ly asking for New Zealand .lamb. ..Chilian lamb was tendered. Defendant was! strongly represented legally, but after' Mr. G. D. Roberts (a well-known London barrister) had opened the case, de-1 fondant decided tb plead guilty to the offence, stating that his salesman suffered from deafness and did not therefore appreciate the nature of the order. The defendant did not have a conviction recorded against him, but was cautioned and given the benefit of the First Offenders Act. Nevertheless, he was ordered to pay £13 13s costs. The Magistrates issued a warning that caro must be taken to sell the correct articles demanded in future. Mr. Forsyth is publishing the facts of the case in the meat trade journals, stressing the fact that the board is always ready and willing to prosecute .in similar cases whore it is able to secure the necessary legal proof. This should be a valuable deterrent to the unfair practice.