SEVEN CHARGES MADE AGAINST FRUIT FIRM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19197, 10 October 1930, Page 8

SEVEN CHARGES MADE AGAINST FRUIT FIRM.

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 9. The fourth day’s hearing in the Police Court of the case against Laery and Co., Ltd., auctioneers and produce merchants, was continued to-day and the hearing was further adjourned until next Thursday. The charges against the company are five of failing to disclose to their principals a pecuniary interest in a contract and two of delivering false sales accounts to the Department of External Affairs in connection with the sale of bananas from Samoa. Further evidence was called to show that buying-in by merchants was well known by growers, who had no objection to the system. Allan Leslie Macfarlane, of Macfarlane and Co., produce merchants of Christchurch, said he had received consignments of bananas from the Government for the last two years. It was customary for his firm to buy in for the country, department and resell. Nothing whatever of the practice was shown in the returns to the Department of External Affairs. The price generally charged country clients was Is a case above the auction price plus charges. The commission charged by the Government was 7h per cent. No objection had ever been made to wit ness that tfie account sales sent to the department were false. Actually those returns were true in every particular.