FINED £150

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1943, Page 3

FINED £150

PROFITEERING CHARGES

(P.A.). • ' AUCKLAND, TUisi Day. ■ Three charges of profiteering -in razor blades were admitted by; an eximporter, E. Keeler; of Parnell, before the Magistrate, Mr. J. Morling, today. The accused,also admitted that he had made over £500 iti a little over a week in a deal resulting in.th'e::sales of razor blades'to the public. '.- Mr. S. Cleal, for, the Crown, said that in July last year the defendant; who was a jobber,- bought from a wholesaler 1900 boxes of razor blades at 5s -a box, plus Is sales tax: He would havebeen permitted to sellat.7s a box if he had applied to the :Price Tribunal to fix a price,'but- he sold 1000 boxes to another wholesaler for Bs, and sold the remaining 900 'to shopkeepers for 15s each. This, represented a profit of £505 in a little over a week, whereas the legitimate profit would have .been. £95. The shopkeepers affected sold' at. Is 9d a packet, wliereas the price subsequently fixed was 8d a packet. Mr. I. J. Goldstine, for the defend,ant. said that Keeler had.been an importer whose business was taken away by restrictions and he had to make a living as a jobber in lines he could pick up. At the time of the deal in razor blades the price was not fixed. He did not know that he should have obtained the authority of the ■ Price Tribunal and frankly gave all information when approached about- the transaction.. . " The. Magistrate said that the case was well within the definition of profiteering. The defendant apparently was not trading in a big way and his original business was largely taken away from him. but that did not justify the excessive price he charged. A fine of £50 was imposed on eafch of the threo charges.