STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 60, 4 December 1920, Page 5

STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM

SALES WITHOUT LICENSES. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr. P. K Hunt, S.M., Wong Chong, Wong She, and 'l'ong Leo, threo Chinese fruitorora, wore charged with selling cream without being Hcensed to do so. The information was laid by one of the tnilk distributing companies, for whom Mr. 0. C. Mnnengarb appeared. Air. 11. U. Cornish uppearod- t" r the defendants, and pleaded RuUtV-on their behalf.

Mr. Mazengarb said . that the information was laid under section 6 of tlio Wellington City Milk Supply Act, 1'Jl!), which '-prohibited anyone selling lmlk and cream except under license, lie explained that the city was divided into four blocks, and four distributing companies held tlio monopoly for the sale of milk and' cream under license from the City Council. Heeauso of the monopoly the prices were fixed by tlio council, and any breach rendered the vendor liable to forfeiture of liis license. Tho practice* hud recently obtained- among fruiterers of buying cream 1 -wholesale from the City Council, putting it 'up into little containers and selling it to cusoineis with strawberries. This was an offence, nil infringement of tho monopoly of the licensed vendors, and a menace to the public. Tho procedure, apparently, wns to obtain gallons of cream from the City Dopot and put it up in the containers at the back of thoir premises, where the conditions could.not possibly )«> suitable for tho milk industry, and retail it to'.the public uc ■ enormou* profits.

The Magistrate: Tiie corporation sells this cream to these men.

Mr. Mazenjjarb: Yes; that was tho serious aspect of the- case.

Continuing, Jlr. llazengarb said that the licensod vendors had to pcIJ for 3d. ■or 4<l. what the Chinese fruiterers sold for 9d. '

Mr. Cornish said that the fault lay entirely with ' thef ; Citv Council, which got an Act passed-' and Jailed to carry out its provisions. He contended that the cases did not call for heavy penalties. Mr. Mazengarb said that the licensed vendors did not press for any penalty, but desired to givo publicity to the matter.

Each defendant was convicted and ordered- to pay costs, 10s. 6d.