ALLEGED PROFITEERING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 195, 13 May 1920, Page 4

ALLEGED PROFITEERING

' THE SALE OT ALARM CLOCKS. By Telegraph-Press Association. Christchurch, May 12. Six cases of alleged profiteering—the first informations laid m Christchurch,under the Board o£ Trade Act—were called at the Magistrate's Court this morning, before Mr. M'Cartliy, S.M. The informant .in each case was Mr. Christie, secretary of the Prices Investigation . Tribunal, and tho defendants were local hardware merchants. Tho date of tho alleged oll'cnces was April 12 in earfh case, and the informations were laid in respect of tho sales of "Big Ben" alarm clocks to tho informant at the price of 255., which was considered unreasonably high. The defendants were as follow Drapery and Importing Company (tho D.1.C.); Hastie, Bull, and Pickering, Ltd.; A. J. White, Ltd.; E. Rcece, Ltd.; Mason, Sti'uther9andCo.,Ltd.; aiulG. W.Drayton, Ltd. When the first ease w«r, called, that against the D.1.C., Mr. Donnelly, who appealed for the Board of Trade, said that live other eases against local ironmongers had been set down for hearing. These were Mng defended by Sir John Pindlay, K.C., and Sir. C. P. Sker"rett, K.C. An adjournment had been arranged in fiicsa cases for about a fortnight, to whicli counsel assented, hut it was desired that tho adjournments should be treated as. sino die ones, to ; enable a suitable date to be fixed for' hearing, and enable an information to be laid against another, firm. The, Magistrate agreed to Mr. Donnelly s suggestion, and the cases accordingly were adjourned sine die.