PREPARING FOR A GERMAN INVASION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4900, 20 June 1918, Page 6

PREPARING FOR A GERMAN INVASION.

LONDON, March 21. Food hoarding summonses, with the sequel of fines and confiscation, are still a feature of the papers daily. Ip the case against Mr. W. E. Allen, of Chipperfield. the Bench inflicted a fine of £350 and cdsts £.1.4.2 and ordered the confiscation of 90 per cent, of the goods, with the ex r - ption of home produce. There were 18 summonses, of which two (relating to tea and jam respectively) were withdrawn. An inspector of the lucal food control council, who searched the premises, jsaid he found in various parts of the house —including the sitting room, dining room, basement, bedroom, store room, and n passage—l34ll> of sugar, 3521 b of bacon. 561 b of cocoa. 601 b of biscuits. 4251 b porridge, etc., 2971 b of nee 961 bof pearl barley, 311 bof macaroni. 411 b of lentils. 321 b of gelatine 9blb of syrup, 23 tins of condensed milk, 174 packets of turtle soap 4 ood 19 bottles of chicken essence. Mrs Allen, in defence, said there were twelve persons in the household, ard that she procured the bulk of the food in 1915, because she feared German invasion. If this took'pLi'p supplies would be cut off. and she intended to do what she could for no unfortunate poor people of th • district. She had been in corrjjomience with the Ministry of Food, and had given full details as to her suck. In August an inspector from the Ministry went down and was shoun the stores in the house. He saui lie thought the purchases were very moderate, considering the s W.a of thf .mily. She thought she mint not touch the goods after the inrri.-etor’S visit, holding them at the disposal of the Ministry—who ha no taken possession of 90 per cent. MARIE CORELLI’S APPEaL. Arising out of her conv *”.on - f su fr ar hoarding, for which he was fined £SO and £2l costs. Miss Mane Corelli sought in the Kings Benin to compel the Stratford-on-A,-on justices to state a case for the of the High Court. Her counsel said Miss Corelli did not attend Court because she'knew nothing about the matter, and her housekeeoer gave evidence. The evidence was 30Slb of sugar were supplied tv Messrs. Lipton, of London between May and November, and that iJUIo had been bought from local grocers. The household consisted of eight persons. and the defence was that a creat quantity of the sugar bad been used for making jam. which was uer mitted by the Food Hoarding Oruer Mr/ Justice Avory said no point ot law was involved. It ■wits entirely a question of fact for the justices, and they had found that the defendant witness failed to satisfy them that the sugar was used for making jam. With this Mr. Justice'Shearman concurred, and the application was refused,. , ' '■