RATIONING CHARGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25563, 16 June 1944, Page 2

RATIONING CHARGE

SALE WITHOUT COUPONS DISMISSED AS TRIVIAL (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 15. The first prosecution in the Dominion under the Rationing Emergency Regulations of 1942 was heard yesterday before Mr W. C. Harley, S.M., at Lower Hutt, when Vance Vivian, Ltd., was charged that, at the firm’s Lower Hutt branch, a sale of rationed clothing had been made without requiring the purchaser to surrender coupons. Evidence was given by two inspectors of the purchase of two-articles of men’s wear which were rationed. They had,'before finally leaving the shop, revealed their identity, and the salesman, a vouth, stated that he had forgotten to ask for coupons until just as the inspectors were stating who they were.

Vance, the managing director of the firm, gave evidence that he had taken every step possible to s*e that the regulations were obeyed. Notices were posted in the shops, and he had written personal letters to each employee. The salesman, in evidence, said that during the sale the inspectors had conducted friendly conversation, and until they turned back as they were leaving he had not realised his omission. Dismissing the charge under his power to treat the matter as trivial, Mr Harley said the Government had very properly instituted control of certain goods during the war, and had also rightly stipulated that heavy penalties should be imposed for breaches. It would also be admitted that the regulations must be unswervingly obeyed and enforced, or they would become a dead letter. They should be enforced with common sense, however, and not for every technical breach. If evasion was deliberate they should be enforced with an exemplary penalty, but no good purpose could be served in the case of merely technical breaches Dy imposing even nominal penalties. “ I am perfectly satisfied with Vance’s evidence, and also with the vouth Matthews, and indeed all the evidence,” the magistrate added. “1 am satisfied that Matthews did temporarily forget to collect the coupons, and I will dismiss the charge.”