TRADING COUPONS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 12200, 12 March 1934, Page 7

TRADING COUPONS

GLASS CLOTH. FOR SOAP car.tons 1 MAGISTRATE ItF.SERYES : DECISION (Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 10. The scope of the Trading Act Passed by Parliament in 1031 to prevent | business firms - or groups of firms • giving away articles( in consideration for patronage .was argued before Mr ! E. Page, S.M., in the Magistrate’s' Court yesterday, when Lever Brothers (X-Z.) Ltd., were charged with redeeming a trading coupon other- i wise than in conformity with section 4 of the Act, which lay down that a coupon may be redeemed only for ! money. Counsel for the prosecution said that if what had been done was legal, then the Act was ineffective. Decision was reserved. The prosecution was based on advertisements for soap .which the company had had printed. Evidence was given that the application form provided had been filled in and sent to Lever Brothers with the number of portions of cartons demanded. In return, the sender had received a letter from George Harrison and Co., and a glass cloth, as the advertisement had, said he. would if lie chose to have the article instead of 9d. Air C. Evans-Scott alleged the coupon cleaz-ly was a trading eoupan as : defined by the Act, and the only; question was whether there had been a redemption within ‘the mean-1 ing of the Act. . He submitted that; the coupons had been redeemed for; the glass cloth, or, alternatively, that they had been redeemed for a benefit, namely, the right to obtain a' glass cloth at a price not open to others than those using that brand of soap. Air P. B. Cooke, for the defend-, ants, submitted that the coupons were redeemed only for money. The application form said the sender became entitled to cash. It was left to ; the request, of the customer what should be done with his 9d.