TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1920, Page 4

TELEGRAMS.

fPJSII I'ItKHS ASBOOf 4.TION.—OOPYBIGJiT.j

CHRISTCH UROli PROSECUTIONS BIG FIRMS IN THE NET.

CHRISTCHURCH, May 12. Six cases of alleged profiteering; the first informations laid in Christchurch under tho Board of Trade Act, were called at tho Magistrate’s Court this morning,- before Mr McCarthy, S.M. The informant in each case was Mr Christie, secretary of tho Prices Indants were local hardware merchants. The date of the alleged offence was May 12 in each case, and the.informations were laid in respect of the saieS of “Big Ben” alarm clocks to tho informant at the price of 255, whir, was considered unreasonably high. Defendants were as follows:—Drapery and Importing ,Co. (the D.1.C.); Mastic, Bull and Pickerng, Ltd - -A. J. White, Ltd.; E. Reece, Ltd.; Mason Strothers and Co., Ltd.; and G. W. Drayton, Ltd. When the first case was'called, that against the D.1.C., Mr Donnelly, who appeared for the Board of Trade, said that five other cases against local ironmongers had been set down for hearing. These were being defended by Sir John Findlay, fc.C. and Mr P. C. Skerrett, K.C. ~ An adjournment has been arranged in these cases for about a fortnight, to which counsel assented, but it was desired that the adjournments- should bo treated as sine die ones, to enable a suitable date to be fixed for their hearing, arid to enable the information to be laid against another firm. The Magistrate agreed to Mr Donnelly’s suggestion, and the cases , wero accordingly adjourned sine die.