TRADE COUPON REDEMPTION

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 12 March 1934, Page 8

TRADE COUPON REDEMPTION

SOAP COMPANY CHARGED. COURT DECISION RESERVED. (By To'.f-icrapb—Pres* Association.! _ WELLINGTON, March 9. The scope of the Trading Act passed | by Parliament in 1931 to prevent busl--1 ness Jlrxri3, or groups of firms, giving ! away articles in consideration! for patronage was argued before Mr i--1-age in the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when Lever- Brothers, New Zealand, were charged with redeeming a trading coupon otherwise than in conformity with section 4 of the Act, which lays it down that u coupon may bo redeemed only for money. Counsel for the prosecution said that if what had been done was legal the Act was ineffective. Decision was reserved. The prosecution was based on aavwtisements for soap which the companyhad had printed. Evidence was given that an application form, provided had been filled in and sent to Lover Brothers with the number of portions of cartons demanded. In return the sender had received a letter from George HarrLon and Company and a glass cloth as the advertisement had said he would if he chose to have the article instead of ninepenee. Air O. Evans Scott alleged the coupon was clearly a trading coupon as defined by the Act, and-the only question was whether there had been redemption within the meaning of the Act. He sub- | mitted that the coupons had been re- 1 deemed for the glass doth, or altcrna- j tivety that they had been redeemed for . a benefit, namely, the right to obtain the glass cloth at a price not open to • others than those using that brand of soap. Mr P. B. Cooke for the defendant*, 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 iivncper.e*.