SHORT WEIGHT COAL

Southland Times, Issue 23228, 17 June 1937, Page 7

SHORT WEIGHT COAL

MERCHANTS FINED PENALTIES OF £5 EACH Two Invercargill coal merchants were fined £5 each in the Magistrate s Court yesterday for selling short weight coal. The prosecutions were brought by the inspector of weights ana measures and defendants were William Frederick Davis and the Southland Coal Company, both of whom pleaded guilty. Davis was not represented by counsel and Mr J. Tait appeared for the Southland Coal Company. Mr K. Muirson. who prosecuted, said that on May 5 Davis’s lorry was stopped by the inspector, and six bags of lignite destined for a customer showed a shortage of 37Jib, and six other bags showed a shortage of 181 b, or three lb a bag, making over 501 b in 12 bags. His only explanation was that his scales might not have been in order, but when he sent them in to be tested it was found that they recorded in favour of the customer. “It is your duty to sell the right weight,” remarked the Magistrate (Mr W. H. Freeman), “and if you don’t you must put up with the consequences. The shortage is too much.” Mr Muirson said that the facts were rather serious in the case of the Southland Coal Company. It was found that in 14 bags weighed there was a shortage of 961 b. The only explanation offered : was that the coal was correctly weighed and was then put away in a shed, where it was subsequently tampered with. “I am satisfied that the coal is just shovelled into sacks and is not weighed,” Mr Muirson declared, “and ’ is never weighed. This firm has been ' previously warned in 1930 and in 1933, so there is not much that can be said for the explanation.” ’ Mr Tait said that it was a case of the : company bearing the responsibility for the misdeeds of its servants. 1 Mr Muirson remarked that some bags ’ showed a discrepancy of as much as ’ 201 b each.