CHEMIST CHARGED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 27 January 1939, Page 3

CHEMIST CHARGED

BREACH OF REGULATIONS \ COULD HAVE BEEN REMEDIED | WITHOUT PROSECUTION’(United Association! 1 CHRISTCHURCH, 26th January. I Allegations Ihat. his client was being persecuted and victimised by the continued prosecutions brought against him were made by Mr A. 11. Cavell, counsel for George William Bcttlc, a manufacj luring chemist, in the Magistrate's j Court this morning, when Bettle was charged with having sold cough cure on j the package of which the fact that it I contained morphine was not stated. I The Magistrate, Mr C. E. Levvey, dis-1 | missed the charge on the payment of costs, commenting that he thought the breach ot the regulations could have been remedied without prosecution. Bettle was a little unorthodox in his business methods, said Mr Cavell. ana it might be that other chemisr wstec it might be that other chemists were up against him. He had been prose-' cuted when others should have been charged before he was. Because he did not follow orthodox methods there was no reason why he should be vie- ' timised. Bcttlc was so worried by what he considered amounted to persecution by the authorities that he had interviewed the Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser). Mr A. W. Brown, who prosecuted for the Health Department, said the regulations provided that the name and quantity of poison had to be mentioned ' on the package as well as the word I “poison,” the alternative being a cau-1 tion in place of the word “poison.” This did not mean that the quantity of mor- , phine could be omitted. ‘T do feel that this could have been remedied without prosecution.” said the Magistrate. “I am not prepared l to enter a conviction. The charge will be dismissed on the payment of costs, j which, I think, will be a sufficient i penalty under the circumstances.” ' |