Magistrate's Sympathies With Retailer?

Chronicle (Levin), 13 June 1949, Page 2

Magistrate's Sympathies With Retailer?

■ -r- ♦ ? "As long'as the price order remains as it is-, those are the conditio'ns butchers will have to opeime under. r Tons of evidence has been brought on * behalf of - butchers dufing the long inquiry jusfe concluded to prove that they are sel'- . ing at a loss at the prices allowed vhem • during the winter months in eotnparison with what they. have to pay for stock." ' • This opinion was expressed by Mr. A. A. Lachlan, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court, Otaki, on Friday, in reply to Mr, C. F. Atmore, who appeared for Betton Deakin, of Waikanae, a retail butcher, who was charged with a breach of the Price Order Regulations. Outlining the charge, to which a plea of guTty was entered, Mr. Bourke, representing the Director of Price Control, stated 'ihat in February last, while making a survey of prices charged throughout the district, an inspector had made a test purchase of 4-1 lbs. of prime ribbed beef from defendant's shop. The price charged was 4s 3d, whereas the price order allowed a charge of 3s 9d. A two-fo-d explanation had been offered by Deakin, firstly that the assistant who served the inspector was inexperienced and, secondly, that butchers found that the high price they had to pay for meat meant they wouM be unable to carry on if restricted to price order ceilings. Mr. A:more said it was his client's first offence. He had been trading for many years and had three shops. In cominon with other businesses, the difficulty in obtaining experienced staff was acute. An inexperienced assistant was relieving in the shop when the purchase was made. There were 31 classificaLions for beef and 26 for mutton, and even the assistant with the highest experience would have a diffieult ta.sk in classifying every cut. The usual job of the assistant who made- the sale was to cart the meat to the various shops. .. The magistrate agreed that it had ta-ken "some of.the inspejptors five years to learji the. different classifieations." 'He said that as long as the price, order .remained as it was, those were the conditions butchers, would have to operate under. Defendant ' was fined £2 and cost^