BARBER’S PROFITS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 March 1926, Page 6

BARBER’S PROFITS

WHAT A HAIR-CUT LED TO. Arising out of a complaint by a customer that he had been persuaded to pay £7 18/3 for unnecessary “ultraviolet ray treatment” for the hair, the Public Control Committee of the London County Council recently revoked the license granted to Joseph Caplan foi’ a massage or special treatment establishment at Charing Cross. It was stated that Mr decil Waldron who had recently come from Canada, went into Caplan’s establishment for a hadr-cut. An assistant named Gilbert told him he had a disease of the scalp and persuaded him to undergo acourse of ultra-violet ray treatment for which, with the hair-cut, he paid £7 18/3. ■ This included a bottle of lot/ion and a box of ointment. Dr Johnston stated that Mr Waldron had no disease of the scalp and a chemist explained that the lotion was chiefly castor oil, water and eau de Cologne, and could easily be sold for 5/-. The ointment could also be sold at the same price. Caplan stated that he had only had Gilbert in his employ six weeks, and was dissatisfied with him because he tried to push shaving sticks and shampoos on customers. When Gilbert told him that he had taken £7 18/3 from a customer he was not satisfied, and declined to pay Gilbert’s commission until he had seen Mr Waldron. On seeing Mr Waldron he was convinced that he had not been properly dealt with, ‘and he refunded the money and dismissed Gilbert. Caplan asserted that the lotion was usually sold at 10/6 per bottle. A month’s supply with violet ray treatment was £1 1/. The ointment was sold at 7/6. The Chairman : Can you account in any way for charging over £6 for these two articles? —No. Caplan added that he had a turnover of about £2O a week, but that he kept no books.