BUTCHERS’ OFFENCES

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 February 1947, Page 4

BUTCHERS’ OFFENCES

BREACHES OF RATIONING REGULATIONS FINES TOTAL OVER £3S Fines totalling £3B, with an additional £5/10/- in costs, were imposed on two Blackball butchers, George Albert Fisher and William Thomas Fisher, trading as Fisher Brothers, for a series of breaches of the meat rationing regulations, by Mr. A. A. McLachlan, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Greyniouth this morning. The Magistrate said he could appreciate that the defendants were losing a huge amount of subsidy, but the fact that they had banked 7000 “stale” coupons meant that they had blatantly flouted the letter and the spirit of the regulations. The prosecution was conducted by Sergeant O. Hansen, and Mr. A. M. Jamieson appeared for both defendants, entering pleas of guilty to all charges, as follows: —G. A. Fisher, four charges of inchiding invalid coupons in a meat rationing coupon envelope deposited with the Commercial Bank of Australia, Greymouth, on May 6 and 13, July 31, and August 15, 1946; G. A. Fisher, that on August 1 and divers dates between then and August 30, being a co-partner with William Fisher in the butchery business known as Fisher Brothers, he did supply meat to Alexander McDonald,? otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of the Rationing Emergency Regulations, 1942; also with failing to enter particulars of meat acquired on his Authority to Acquire Meat. A further charge was laid against G. A. Fisher of including invalid coupons in an envelope banked on August. 20, 1946; and he was also charged that on August. 30, 1946, he did fail to mark the weights on carcasses of mutton and pork. . William Thomas Fisher was similarly charged with (1) supplying meat to Alexander McDonald othei - wise than in accordance with the provision of the rationing regulations; (2) failing to enter particulars of meat acquired on his Authority to Acquire Meat; and (3) failing to mark the weights on carcasses of mutton and pork. 7000 “Stale” Coupons. Outlining the facts of the case. Sergeant Hansen said that checks of the coupons banked by'the defendants showed that out of 12,005 coupons banked in the period covered by the charges, 7079 were “stale.” It appeared that the defendants were either lax with their banking or else they were careless in accepting the coupons from customers. The regulations said that the coupons must be banked two days after their expiry date. Visits to the premises by Inspector Parker disclosed that entries of meat purchased had not been entered on the authority form as. required by the regulations. On 23 sides of mutton and-a portion of a side of pork there were no visible marks of the weights. In regard to the supply of meat to McDonald, a check by the inspector disclosed that there was an over-supply of £2 18/- worth of meat not accounted for.

Mr. Jamieson said the explanation in regard to the “stale” coupons .wafi that the firm had an extensive delivery business, one of the few in the country. Often a big percentage of customers were out when called upon. The meat was left and the coupons were collected the next week, then often being “stale.” There was also the fact that the shop was 20 miles from Greymouth and the banking was done only once or twice a week. He desired to stress that although the coupons were “stale” there was no question of shortage and the firm was going to be severe-, ly punished by the loss of subsidy on 7000 odd coupons. In regard to the offence of supplying meat to McDonald, it occurred at a .time when there were big Rugby League matches im Blackball, with an influx of hundreds of visitors who went to McDonald’s hotels for meals. Most of them did not have coupons and the publican “took the risk” and the supplier also. With reference to the offence ol not marking the weights, Mr. Jamieson pointed out that the inspector had called on a Friday, the busiest day of the week, and the work had been neglected. He added that the defendants had acquired the business only over the past two years, and one of them had returned from overseas service. It was their first offence. The Magistrate, after referring to the loss of subsidy and the fact of 7000 stale coupons meant that the regulations had been blatantly flouted, said he supposed he would be correct in taking into account that one of the defendants had just been rehabilitated and possibly found difficulty in appreciating the full significance of the rationing regulations. On each of the first four charges, G A. Fisher was fined £5, with 10/— costs; on each of the remaining charges G. A. Fisher was fined £3 with 10/- costs and W. T. Fisher was fined £2 with 10/- costs on each of the thrfee charges, the Magistrate re-marking'-that he was influenced by the fact that the firm would have to pay all of the fines. Customer Fined. Arising out of the charge against • the previous defendants, Alexander McDonald, licensee of the Dominion Hotel, Blackball, was charged that, on divers dates between August 1 and 30, 1946, he did acquire meat in circumstances in which the supply of such meat was prohibited. Mr. C. R. McGinley, for the defendant, entered a plea of guilty. Sergeant Hansen ‘said that £2 18/- worth of meat was procured from Fishers in contravention of the regulations. Mr. McGinley said that Mr. Jamieson had already set out the position correctly. August was a football month and the defendant was called upon to give meals to a lot of casuals. Unfortunately, he followed the. practice of the previous licensee in not giving the coupons to the butcher, but banked them. The present offence was due to carelessness m not checking up on the coupons, but it was not a case of wilfully? getting more meat than he was entitled to.. The defendant was fined £3, witn 10/- costs.