NOMINAL FINE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 164, 11 June 1940, Page 8

NOMINAL FINE.

BREACH OF REGULATION. Per Press Association. NEAV PLYMOUTH, June 10. A breach of the Price Stabilisation Emergency Regulations Was admitted in the Police Court this morning by Thomas Borthwiok and t Sons, Ltd., Waitara, and a conviction was entered with a penalty of £lO (costs, £2 17s). The information was laid under the regulations gazetted on September 1. 1939 (Regulation 5), and the breach alleged was that, on February 17 1940, the company sold blood and bone manure in lot of 50 tons or more at £8 5s a ton, being higher than they were prepared to sell similar goods in similar quantities on September 1. The matter was brought to the notice of the Price Fixation Tribunal when the concern which purchased the goods in February applied for leave to increase their reselling price m accordance with the higher price charged them. The tribunal asked Barthwicks for an explanation of the increase and were informed that it was t'lie practice of the company to clear out all old stocks before September 20 so as to have the stores ready for the new season’s output. It had only followed the usual course adopted every season. , ~ * Defending counsel taid the company had no wish, to flout the regulation and did not appreciate that, in fol--1 lowing its customary course, it had gone outside the regulation In fixing the penalty, the Magistrate said that if he thought defendants had wilfully ignored the regulations he would not have hesitated to impose the maximum penalty of £IOO.