FINES TOTAL £30

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 57, Issue 4028, 11 August 1948, Page 4

FINES TOTAL £30

STOREKEEPERS IN COURT OVERCHARGING CHARGES PRICE TRIBUNAL BREACHES Fines totalling £3O were imposed by Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., whew five charges of breaches of the Price Tribunal Regulations were heard at the last sitting of the Thames Magistrate’s Court. Two charges were brought against William John Bathurst, of Waitakaruru, one for having sold tinned peaches at a price in excess of that allowed by regulations, and the second for having exceeded the price limit on a 1 lb. tin of cocoa. Mr P. Jensen, who appeared for defendant, stated that the overcharge had been the result of an error. The price charged for the peaches had been that of a previous price order, which had been known for years by the defendant’s wife, who had been serving

at the time. It had happened that the had not kept up with the information, Mr Jensen said. . In the case of the cocoa, he continued, the product had been bought when sales tax had been charged. The overcharges were 4id on both tins of peaches and 5d on th* tin of cocoa.

Magistrate’s Comment Every endeavour should be made by the storekeepers to keep to the prices, said Mr Freeman. The trouble was that they treated the price orders wrth contempt. Grahamstown Stores, Limited, of Thames, was also charged with overcharging on sultanas, currants and raisins. The manager, Mr E. Dovell, stated that it had been an oversight on his part and that the overcharging would not have benefited him. He had not long been in charge of the store. The overcharge had been 2d on a pound tin of sultanas. The magistrate pointed out that there was nothing clever in overcharging, and that the would definitely be of benefit to the manager.

Two charges were preferred against T. J. Lindley, storekeeper, of Waitakaruru. Lindley pleaded guilty in a letter to one charge of‘having overcharged on peaches and another on. sultanas. The overcharge had been 3d a tin on the peaches and 7id on the sultanas. In the letter, accused stated that he had not had time to read the price regulations. Fines Imposed That, the magistrate said, was a glaring instance of ignoring the regulations. it was not fair to other grocers that these cases should be allowed to “get away with it,” he said. Bathurst was A ned £5 on charge; Grahamstown Stores £7 Ifie on the charge against it, and Lindley £5 on the peaches charge and £7 10b on the sultanas charge. Court costs and solicitors’ fees were added to the fines.