FALSE DECLARATIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20283, 16 December 1927, Page 12

FALSE DECLARATIONS.

GOODS DELIVERED BY RAIL. DAIRY COMPANY FINED. (Per United Press Association.) GISBORNE. December 15. A case of considerable interest to farmers and dairy companies came before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., to-day, when the Okitu Dairy Company was charged with making false declarations in regard to goods delivered to the railway station, two cream cans that wore declared to be empty being found to contain butter. One can, addressed to a farmer at Waikohu, was found to contain 71b of butter, and a second can. addressed to another farmer at Waikohu, contained 41b of butter. Mr F. W. Nolan, who appeared for the Railways Department, said that under the regulations the department carried full cans to factories for a stipulated charge, returning empties free. Among the cans returned as empties on November 21 was one addressed to a farmer which.' as usual, contained a brass tablet stating that it was empty. As there was no one present at the Waikohu station to take charge, the guard moved it, and, finding it was heavy, removed the lid and found 71b of butter inside. A similar offence took place on December 3, when a can addressed to another farmer was found to contain 41b of butter. The department regarded the matter as serious, and bad reason to suspet that the practice had been carried on for some time, but it was difficult to detect. He asked for a substantial penalty. . For the defendant company, Mr I. A. Coleman said the company recently changed its carter who conveyed the cans to the station, and be bad been given instructions that where butter or other goods were returned in cans it must be so stated on a separate consignment note. These instructions, so far as . was known, ■were carried out. There bad been no complaint by the department that the carter was not filling the necessary consignment notes. The company, said counsel, gained no pecuniary advantage in evading payment for the excess of goods, as the railage charged on butter would be debited to the man supplied. Mr Nolan said that prior to these offences the department had warned the carter. On the first charge defendants were fined £5 and costs, and on the second charge £1 and costs.