UPPER HUTT COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2148, 14 May 1914, Page 9

UPPER HUTT COURT.

MAN FINED £20. SELLING ADULTERATED MILK. ■Sir. t>. G.,A. Cooper, S.M., presided ever a sitting of the Upper iiutt Police Court yesterday. William CoUettj who plea.tjoi not guilty to a charge of. soiling milk adulterated with .water, was fir.'ed £20. A_ sample of the mil.k, tegethw with a certificaic from the Goveriiniewt Analyst supporting tlio charge of ndulteratiqa, was produced by J. H. Cowdray, rollli iiispwtor. The defendant, who was not rejwescuted by coiinsd, gayo evidence ml Us own belmlf. He denied putting water in thfl milk. Hg rcmeiiibcred placing a can. in the cooler, and suggested that tlio water had found its way into the esin hi this way. He had beeii in tl»e niilk business for the past 1-5 years, and had never beon in trtublo previously. He strongly commented upon tho method -of currying cans in the train, contending thot they wove sometimes so Uadl.y damaged that water was always liable to get into the milk.

Henry Edward Wenliam also gave evidence on behalf of defendant.

Tho Magistrate retiifirked that through defendant's action a firm hi town had btfoii charged recently with selling adulterated mill; and would have been heavily fined but for the fact that tho milk had been tested between tlto railway station and the vendor's shop. He* there-fore felt justified in imposing, a lic.ivy penalty. Tho defendant ivoukl bo fined £30, and costs -355. An application on behalf of the defendant for a reduction in tho nmo-mit ■of tlto fine was nia-dc latcs- in tiw; morning by Mr, A. W. Ulair. Mr. Blair coiiipaml tho present case with tlio repent action m Aiiohlaiul, wherein tha fine Uw! lieeH of a similar amount, lu the. Auckland ens* there had been deliberate adulteration.

In reply, tho Magistrate intimated that lie cmiW not snnko .1 reduction, for. which, however, Collett c<iiikl apply to the Department.