BOARD OF TRADE ACT

Southland Times, Issue 18839, 4 June 1920, Page 5

BOARD OF TRADE ACT

Tine HAWKRA PROSIXUTION. (Per United Press Association.) HAWKRA, June 3. In the ea-e against (ieorge Tail, chemist, charged with making an unreasonable profit from the sale of a four-ounce pot of vaseline for fifteen police, further evidence was given for the defence. The Boa;d of Trade's local representative staled that a fortnight ago one chemist redueed the piice of vaseline t-o a shilling. Previously all were selling at fifteen pence.

Hubert Shark, an account am. said iie had made up Tail's profit and 10.-.s trading account. The return on the capital invested was not, in his opinion, unreasonably high. George Tail, defendant, said the business had been earned on lay his father for 29 years. He went into camp in January, 1917, anti in February. 1919, he returned. When be returned he found his father was carrying on in temporary premises and doing the dispensing alone. Later they rebuilt. Three brothers were in the business. In November, 1919, he and his brother took over from their father for a lump sum of £BOO the fittings, goodwill, and lease. The book debt.- ami goodwill of (he business were a present from their father, lie valued the goodwill at at least £4OO. The output of vaseline would be about two dor-eu per year. The bottle produced was a 4oz pot, and before the war cost a shilling. The cost to th" chemist could not be lower than t’l/li per dozen. He was not over charging, nor would it be too much to ask f ighteenpence. Robert Tait. the father, said he could not tell what price was paid for the vaseline. In selling to his sons he had roughly estimated the value of the stock. No stock lists were made out. ' Another chemist slated that he had previously worked for a chemist in Lyttelton. Witness had sold large pots of vaseline there at one shilling and threepence. He considered it quite a fair price. That was the general opinion. In saying (his he had regard to the primary' law of chemists not to split threepenny bits. The Magistrate intimated that he would give his decision in writing.