S.M. Comments On Price Order Injustices

Northern Advocate, 22 April 1944, Page 4

S.M. Comments On Price Order Injustices

(P A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Two Wellington butchers were each fined .Cl by Mr. Colliding, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, for sell- ' ing mutton nt prices above the maximum fixed by Price Order. The magistrate stated that the inelastieitv of the order caused an injustice which he would not increase by inflicting a heavy penalty. In one case one butcher admitted selling 41b. 13oz. of forequarter of lamb at 4/6, whereas, under the Price Order, the charge should have been 4/0?.. Another butcher pleaded not guilty in a similar charge in respect of a forequarter of mutton.

Convicting both defendants, die magistrate said he must not be influenced in deciding their, guilt by the great deal of matter travel.sed that arose from (government policy, the purpose of which was to prevent profiteering and check rises in the cost of living. However; after seeing the working of price orders, one might find one great fault in them of inelasticity that caused injustices on the trading community in the course of time.

In making some price orders, attempts had been made to overcome such injustice by allowing seasonal changes in price, but that that injustice did occur, was beyond doubt. Butchers were compelled to pay 9?d lb. wholesale for meat which they were not allowed to sell for more than lfld, which would probably cause them loss. Once satisfied that an order inflicted injustice, the Court was bound to see that it did not do further injustice by inflicting a heavy penalty.