THE HEATHEN CHINEE

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 702, 23 December 1902, Page 2

THE HEATHEN CHINEE

HOW HE WORKED THE SCALES (Per Press Association.) Wellington, last night. The hearing of the cliarges against a Chinese greengrocer at the S.M. Court this morning led to a detect in th'* ■■ .'b'.i’iand Measures Act being reveuieu, it appears that the inspector called at the defendant's shop and touud that a twoounce weight had been affixed underneath the scales, which was admitted had been put there on purpose. The Chinaman’s excuse was that in woighing out potatoes he had to turn the scales in tbo purchaser’s favor, and that generally meant that the purchaser would got a potato or two moro than the due weight. To counteract this loss the storekeeper hit on a plan, inserting a 2oz weight so as to counterbalance the potato tliut turned the scale and so left tho purchaser with no more than his money’s worth. It was admitted that the scales wero otherwise correct. Counsel for the defence contended that as the scales were neither false nor imperfect no punishmont could be meted out. To make the scales work imperfectly by attaching something to them was not an offence. Dr. Macarthur, S.M., agreed with this reading, and said that tho man who applied his fingers to interfere with the working of correct scales could not be l-eachod. The ohargo of having in his possession imperfect scales was dismissed. A tine of 20s, with costs 7s, was imposed for having an unstamped weight. It seems that if the Chinaman had used a stamped instead of an unstamped weight he would have been clear of the Act. Section 40 prescribes a penalty for falsifying tho weights, but not for falsifying the scales.