Grocer Fined For Sugar Shortage

Chronicle (Levin), 6 March 1948, Page 4

Grocer Fined For Sugar Shortage

Pleading guilty to ' hliarges .of failure to account 'for over 1000 lbs. of sugar, " "WaTter JOlln . Barrat, grocer, of Levin,' app'eared In the Magistrate's Court, Levin, • before Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M., dn Friday. He„was charged that .bstween May 10 aird Jdne 6, 1947, and July 5 and August' 3,' '1947/ he failed to account ih the first instance'-for 816 lbs. and in the second instance for 279 lbs. of siigar. Defendant was "represefited by- Mr. N. M. Thoriison and Mr. G. I. McGregor appeared for the Cr'own. ' , ' The Department had. great difficulty in controlling traders, and had brought the charge mainly to "keep them up to scratch" and also to look rafter competitors ih the same line of business, said Mr. McGregor. Def ending, Mr. Thomson said that there was no question of deceit or false returns. The returns were put in at the end of a fourweekly period, and these clearly shov/ed the deficit. Barrat was sure that he had not had the half-ton of sugar which was said to be missing. Producing some invoices, Mr. Thomson pointed out that where .one showed a delivery of 32 ; bags, actually only 16 had been received. Tliis ha-d been an May 5, 1947, On May 19 a further 16 bags were delivered out of. another consignment of 69 bags. However, the invoices showed that thc' ie dut of the consignment of May 19 and the fina,l 16 out of the consignment of May 5 were supposed to have been delivered. Barrat had been astounded to find the shortage. He was sure he had only received 16 bags on May 19. He was guilty of an offence and was bound by the vouchers, but Barrat eould not understand the shortage. Mr. Goulding: Did he not sign the delivery notes?— ' The firm had not sent him any receipts. It was apparent . from the weekly sale returns that there had been an over-sale, stated Mr. McGregor. The saies had been shown as 3,341 lbs., as .against a permit for 2240 lbs. In fining Barrat £5 on each of the, two informations, Mr. Goulding // commented that if it had not been1' / for the matters which had been v ' laid before the court, the fines would have been conSiderably more. Costs totalled £2.