MEAT COUPON PROBLEM

Chronicle (Levin), 11 June 1946, Page 8

MEAT COUPON PROBLEM

-Press Association

C0UNSEI/S EXPLANATiONS TO MINISTER BUTCHERS HAVE SIMPLER PLAN

By Telegrapji—

WELLINGTON, June 10. An application by counsel, Dr. O. C. Mazengarb, tliat nineteen charges against eight butchers should be adjourned for further consideration by the Minister of Industnes and Commerce, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, was declined by Mr. Stilwell, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court this afternoon. Most of the charges were qf supplying meat to eonsumers 'other than against the surrendel1 or caneellation of coupons under tlie Rationing Emergency liegulations, 104-2, the otners being against an employee of aiding his employer in the same ofl'ence, three of selling meat not in accordance with a price order, and une of making a misleading statement iii a return. Mr. Stilwell said it was well known that similar proceedings had been going on in other places for some time. The court had been endeavouring since the matter was first mentioned, to fix a day for hearing. After this degree of arranging, the time had come to get on with the hearing of matters. Dr. Mazengarb, in asking for the adjournment, said that just before luncli he had a telephone niessage from the Minister 's department stating that the Minister was in Christchurch but wished the prosecutions to proceed. CounS(d asked if the matter could be held over until further time could be given to a letter by the Minister. Dr. Mazengarb read the letter to the Minister, the following being the context: ' 1 Apart from anv iuformation which you nniy have received from your departniental officers, 3rou will have noticed from Press reports tliere ar« niany prosecutions pending against butchers for alleged breaclies of the Rationing Ihnergency liegulations. I have been 1 iustructed to appear 011 Monday next us counsel for defence in 19 prosecutions at Wellington. With great res- | i>ect. to the views of tliose otlicials who Iiave been responsible for the method I of enforeing compliance with the reguI lations and the saving of meat for j Great Britain, I feel a much better I method of achieving the desired end is I lo secure ihe eomplete cooperation of j both butchers and the general publie i ir.1 Ihe rationing of meat. If Ihe hear1 ing of the prosecutions proceeds, dei fendarits will be obliged to resist entry i of convictions and the imposition of the ' [x-nalties, by explaining to the Court: fac.tors which led to the liringing of these eases. These factors are as fol- ; low : (1) Sdon after the Gazetting of Ihe liegulations in 1942, a praclice arose whereby rfgular customers of lucal butchery shops handed to th.cir j butchers the whole of tlieir coupons for j cacli rationing period and trusted the j butchers to supply tlieir daily needs up j to the value of tlieir coupons. Some j customers may liave received a bigger j supply than tliat to which they were en1 l it led while some were contout with I less. (2) While the coupons banked by : some Imtchers may have lessem d tlieir right to receive the full cpiantity of meat desired by them in the subsequent period the Controller toolc 110 action (as far as 1 am-aware) to restrict them to the amount to whicli they were entitled under the regulations. Ile lias - Ihereby, over a loug period, countenanced the practice which it is now sought lo stop. This lias resulted in the temporary closing of at least oue shop and tlie laimehing of these prosecutions. (.'?_) Discrepancies between coupons banked by butchers and meat aclually acquired is, 1 am informed, due to various causes, the cliief of which are (a) in rusli periods it is extremely : diilicult for tradesmen with greasv or meat stained fingers, to check coupons handed to them. (b) Casual customers, al'ler the meat is wrapped, often find : lliey have ordered in excess of tlie | amount for which they have coupons | avaihible and promise to bring the remaining coupons at the next call. This places a butcher in the diSadvantage of liaving to take the purchase back into i slock or trust to the promise of the customer which is not always carried out. (ti) In tlie manufacture of srnall gbods a butcher is obliged to utilise some portiou of his supply of ralioned meat for \v"liich allowance is made in his license. 1 11 practice it is diffieult to preserve a [jroper balance between goods irned under a manufacturing lieence and that jxirtion of meat to be sold subject to cou])ons. (d) Those butchers whose icfiutation is for the supply of liigh ■grade meat, buy animals or carcases in respect of which the eutting waste is great or than wliat was aliowed for in Ihe lixing of prices and the fixing' of quotas. (e) Since the campalgn starled for the voluntary savinjr of coupons

several instances have occurred where w ell meaning pcrsons (with a perverted itlea of appearing to be humanitarian in their actions) have deliberately held back coupons while attempting to obtaiu the same value of meat as tliat to which they would otherwise be entitled. "Having regard to the way in which Ihe retail trade has been conducted, it was comparatively easy for insjiectors to cause a breacn of the regulations by the methods adopted by them in recent vveeks. The procedure apparently was for an inspector to make his purchase and liaving placed it in his bag, to hand over or place on the eounter the csisli and a slip of coupons^ As the ius[)eetor would appear to be an lionest man, it would not oecur to the butcher, that he was being 'tricked' until tlie inspector returned to the shop and revealed the purpose of liis purchase. The regulations place upon the purchasers the onus of giving the correct coupons. The ration books distinctly wam customers of their obligations in this regard, aiid the butchers felt reasonablyentitled and in the -rusli of business, are sornetimes obliged to rely on the honour and honesty of the purchaser. I have some confidence in assuming you and the general public will not approve of departmental officers , deliberately causing the commission of an offence. The prpsent def'endants have been seriously eonsidering whether informations should ' not be laid against the inspeetors themselves for their breaclies of the regulations. The laying of inf orma4

tions against thein would probably cause bitterness and even the convietion of inspeetors and would not be to the advantage of the butchers who. have been misled by them. The butchers with whom I have conferred, assure me a simpler scheme of rationing could be devised under which, with the cpoperation of the butchery trade and customers, the general object could be achiev^d of saving food for Grpat Britain while spreading the quantity available for New Zealand equitably among our population. I am sqre you will agree such a scheme (if workable) would be much better tlian a continuation of a system which is not only costly to the butchers and Government, but also promotes Dreaches of the law. Up to the present the butchers have not had the advantage of dealing with the Tribunal. They had to deal with the IStabilisation Commission, the Price Tribunal, rationing authorities and the Labour Department. I am myself conlident that what is really wanted is one fresh mind to exaniine the situation and report to the Government on the proposais which the retail butchers in Wellington would like to put forward. "My suggestion therefore is: (1) That the cases now before the Court be discontinued or adjourned. (2) That the Government appoint some independent person as, for examplp, Mr. J. fS. Barton, C.M.G., to consider the suggestions which niy cjients have to offer, and to report to thr Government on the best means of overcoming the difficulties which retail traders and departinental officers now have to face. I feel sure an amicable settlement will appeal to you as being better than a harsli eni'orcement through the Courts, of the rationing regulations which, while praiseworthy in their intention, neverthclcss press heavily upon those engaged in tlie butchery trade. If you are able to accede to the suggestion and give instructions accordingly, I can assure you tlie iudividuai butchers for whom 1 act will be niindful of their obligations under the existing regulations and will oll'er suggestions to work out a system tliat will better nieet the desires of tlie Government than that which appiies under Ihe existing regulations." Dr. Mazengarb said last week, on bohalf of the' butchers, he had tried to see the Prime Minister and Mr yulli,vau but they were not available. He was still not witliout hope tliat the Ministei" would see an opportunity to meet the Jmtchers. Tlie present positiop was "costly, chaotie and unfair and appeared lo make tlie butchers out to be unpalrfotic lawbreakers which they were not. Mr. W. R. Birks, for the Food Controller and Price Tribunal, said if the butchers had a scheme they had ample opportunity to place it before the Minister. The eriticism of thp methods of tlie Inspeetors and the allegation that they obtained meat without coupons, would be 111 et by the evidence that they had placed 011 the eounter money and coupons in the "clear view of the shopman. Mr. Birks submitted uo grouiuis had been showu vvhy the cases, which had been pending since Aprilj should be adjourned. Ile asked that they be proeeeded witli. Dr. Mazengarb said he might be placed in a position of going to the fciupreme Court. The butchers might have to take action against the inspeetors. Raymond Clark MacFarlane, butcher, of Porirua, was eharged with, 011 Marcli 2(i, he supplied meat to eonsumers other tinui against the surrendel1 or caiieeliation of coupons. Iveitli Fergusson Parker, meat rationing inspector, 1 Christchurch, ^saiRf in Marcli last, ' lie calied ' at " de'fehfent 's shop and bought a knuckle of inutton and a piece of stealc. While the meai was being got ready, he placed 5s on the eounter and six coupons which entitled him to Is Gd worth of meat. The price of the meat was 2s lld. The money and coupons were taken by the shopmau and witness left the shop. In two minutes ' time" he re-entered the shop and asked the shopman his reason for selling 2s lld worth of meat for ls Gd .in coujxms. The sliopimin stated he thought there had been enough coupons. D11. Mazengarb: Did you give consideration to the fact that you yourself might be breaking the law?

Witness: I had qiy duty to do. 1 did it to the best of my ability. M11. Birks asked: Did dpfendant claim it was an error? Witness: He just said he neglected to look at the coupons. MacFarlane, in evidence, said the inspector put down screwed up coupons on the eounter and had almost run out of the shop). Dr. Mazengarb submittei], 'a eonviction should not be entered. The Magistrate reserved decisiooh. "I have 110 doubt a penalty must be imposed, but I will defer the penalty meantime, " said M11. .Stilwell, after hearing evidence in the charge against A. B. Preston, Ltd., Molesworth vStreet, on Mareh 15, of suppi lying meat to a consumer other than against tlie surrender or caneellation of coupons. Evidence was given by Athol George Pearce, Inspector of Rationing, Wellington, that he made a purchase of pork at 5s Gd and gave coupons valued at ls Gd. -Later he asked to see tiie manager and had been told that the employee who had served him was a casual worker normally employed in the smalJ •goods department.