SALE OF WINE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 119, 19 April 1945, Page 4

SALE OF WINE

CHARGE OF PROFITEERING. (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 18. Appearing for the defendants in a prosecution brought by the Price Tribunal, Mr C. S. Thomas told Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M., that hotelkeepers looked for a gross profit of from 80 per cent, to 90 per cent, from their bars. Any hotel making a profit from the bar of less than 80 per cent, was heading for bankruptcy. Charles "Watkins Stafford and Herbert Stafford, trading as the Southern Cross Hotel, were charged with selling through their agent a bottle of port wine at an unreasonably high price. They pleaded guilty. "This is a simple profiteering charge," said counsel for Iho Price Tribunal. Ho added that an inspector purchased a bottle of New Zealand port wine at the Southern Cross Hotel for 12s 6d. When the inspector interviewed the manager tl)* latter said that the price should have been lis and offered to refund Is 6d. Counsel added that the wine was bought for £2 10s a dozen, or 4s 2d a bottle, with sales tax lOd, making' the price to the publican ss. At 12s 6d the defendants made 150 per cent, profit and even at lis the profit was 120 per cent. • At the request of .Mr Thomas the Magistrate stood down the case till tomorrow to allow the question of penalty to be examined.