HEAVY FINES IMPOSED

Chronicle (Levin), 9 November 1946, Page 7

HEAVY FINES IMPOSED

— .j -Ptess j. Association

• y I MEAT RATIONING BREACHES

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, AUCKLAND, Nov. 8. • A eonsiderable quuntitjyof liieat has not been lavAIlable' -for .Bhipment : overseas as tHe result of over supply, said Mr. Rosen when, on behalf of the Jttationing Coutroller, he brouglit charges in. the Magis'tratc 's Court this ' morning against flve concerns for a . total of 18 breaches of the' Emergency Rationing Itegulationg. Alr. J. Morling, S.M., was on the Bencli. Defendants were. the Auckland Meat' C'ojnpany (flve counts), R. and W. Hellaby Limited (three counts), Hydra 3ac"ori and Meat Company (one count), '4-uckland Commercial. Travellers' Association (four counts) and Dominion Breweries Limited (flve counts). ■ The flrst three defendants' were charged witli supplving meat in breach of the regulations and the other two with acquiring it. All pleaded guilty to ali Charges. Comparatively small amounts were involved in each of the charges but it was stated by Mr. ltosen that if every instance of a breach had been made the subjeet of a cliarge, there would have been a- very c'onsiderabJe number of informations. He admitted there were difiiculties in the way of carrying out the rationing scheme and said in the case of Hydra Bacon Company cspecially, efforts had been made to abide by the regulations and that company had lost customers as a result oi' its strictly observing -them. Counsel for the defending concerns pointed out that there was uo sugges; tion of proflteering by the breaches. Black- marketing was iiot aJleged and ' they referred to diflieulties which arose through trying to please customers and through illnesses and changes in staffa . , Taking into consideration the size oi ! 'the companies, the over supply had uoi i bchn -extreme, said the Magistrate, and "the breaches could not be described as flagrant. The companies had ndeavoured' to comply with the regulations and iione of them had made an effort to! profit from the breaches. Hcrvvevor, ihe j : regulations had been brought into be I Ing with the bbject of conserving the | meat; supply and fairly distributing ili and in particular so that a greatei quantity could be sent overseas. There-! fore, in future the Commercial Travel ! lers' Association would have to be j harder on its menxbers and see thatj they handed over the right number ot I coupons, wliile the Central Hotel (Do j minion Breweries) would have to e.xer | cise rnore strlct control. Similar remarks were. made by the i Magistrate conceruing the supplving ' companies. In imposing flnes Mr. Morling said he agreed with counsel that the money itself-' was i small matter but the size of the: penalties would reflect upon the good names of the concerns. The Auckland Meat Company was fined £75, Dominion Breweries £5(J, Ilel ! laby Ltd. £25, Comniercial Travellers ! Association £10, and Hydra Bacon Com- j pany £10. In the case of the first four i defendants these fiues were inqiosed on i one charge and on the other charges j they were convicted and discharged. |