15. W. DE FENQ.]

H. -44A.

71. Palmolive soap is a well-known proprietary article ? —Yes. 72. Is that the same article which you have produced ? —No. 73. This is a different brand. Of course, it may be as good, but the point is that you asked for the recognized Palmolive soap ?—Yes. 74. This is the invoice, is it not ?—Yes. 75. Were you told that it was not Palmolive soap ? —lt was simply handed to me. This soap is made in England. 76. What is the price at which Palmolive is sold generally ? —There has been an alteration this month ; it has been, reduced to 7 Jd. 77. For this soap which you have produced they charged you 6d. ?—Yes. 78. You also bought two photo-frames, did you not ? —Yes. [Photo-frames produced.] 79. And you paid Is. 3d. each ?—Yes. 80. I think you were able to ascertain the price at which these photo-frames were purchased '!— Yes, at Bs. per dozen. Mr. Myers ; In other words, they were purchased at Bd. and sold retail at Is. 3d. each. lam not complaining, sir, but I am only showing that profits are made by these people. 81. Mr. Myers (to witness).] What was the price paid for the Palm and Olive soap which was substituted for Palmolive ? —The worst price at which they could buy it here would be 48s. per gross. 82. You also bought a cigarette-case, did you not ?—Yes. 1 83. At what price ?—ls. 6d. [Cigarette-case produced.] 84. What is the wholesale price ? —-Bs. 6d. per dozen. 85. Then you also bought a tin of baby-powder ?—Yes. [Produced.] 86. You paid for that Is. : what is the cost price ? —-7s. 7d. per dozen. 87. Then you also have some hair-slides: for those how much did you pay I—For1 —For two I paid Bd. each, one at 9d., one at 4d., and one at 3d. [Produced.] 88. Do you know what these articles cost wholesale ? —Yes. The one sold at 4d. cost 2d., the one sold at 9d. cost 6d., and the others sold at Bd. cost 4d. 89. Are they the worst or best prices ? —The worst prices. I have since found that they were bought at even better prices than that. 90. I think you also had a look at Macduff's window in order to see some of their prices ?—Yes. 91. That was on the 17th of this month, was it not ?- —Yes. 92. Take McClinton's talc ?—l3s. per dozen, less 5 per cent. 93. Is that the wholesale price to the retailer ? —Yes. 94. What is the selling-price I—lOd. 95. Palmolive talc ? —l2s. per dozen, and sold at lid. 96. Lane's emulsion ? —22s. sd. per dozen, and sold at 2s. 97. Cuticura soap ?—Sold at is. 2d., and cost 13s. per dozen. 98. And Kruschen salts % —The cost is 21s. sd. per dozen, and is sold at Is. 9d. 99. I think you also had a look at two or three other shops which profess to sell articles cheaply : we will take, for instance, , Courtenay Place % —Lane's emulsion, costing 425. 5d., selling at 3s. 6d. 100. Now take ———■, Cuba Street ? —Eno's, costing 38s. per dozen, selling at 3s. 101. Mr. Montgomery. ] With reference to these articles here and the profits made thereon, have you purchased any similar articles from any stores that do not cut prices—that is, on ordinary lines ? —No. 102. There is no comparison, then, as between the price of the baby-powder [produced] and those hair-slides which you have produced and similar articles sold by shops which do not cut prices ?— I have not attempted to compare prices. 103. I think it is necessary that this inquiry should have that information. Mr. Myers : I submit that it is very difficult, because if you take one article for the purpose of comparison you could not get the same article elsewhere. 104. Mr. Myers (to witness).] We come now to ——■—■. I think you have a bottle of tomatosauce which you purchased at one of their stores ? —Yes. [Produced.] 105. From what shop was that purchased ? a store at Kilbirnie. 106. How much did you pay for it ?—9d. 107. I think you have ascertained the wholesale price of that bottle ? —4s. 6d. per dozen, less 10 per cent, and 2J,- per cent. Mr. Collins : That is over 100 per cent, profit. Mr. Myers : Yes. We have the invoice, and there is no question about that: it is 140 per cent, on cost. I have not worked it out on turnover. Ido not like to take it on cost, but I have only done so because I have not the other figures here. I admit that it is on turnover that we should take all the figures. 108. Mr. Myers [to witness.] Take mixed spice ? —I bought a packet of mixed spice for which I paid 3d., and it costs Is. Bd. for sixteen packages. 109. That, again, is 140 per cent, on cost. Yon bought a small quantity of boracic acid, did you not ?—Half a pound for 6d., and the wholesale price is 6fd. per pound. 110. They charged you 6d. for half a pound, whereas the cost price is 6fd. per pound ?—Yes. 111. Take Worcester sauce : you paid how much 6d. 112. And the wholesale price is what ? —The particular sauce in question is an unwrapped line of Young's, and the price is 4s. 6d. per dozen, less 10 per cent, and 21 per cent. 113. Then you purchased a tin of Hillsdale's asparagus at store in Lambton Quay for 2s. 3d. per tin : what is the wholesale cost ? —l6s. 9d. per dozen. [Produced.]

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