A POT OF VASELINE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3502, 14 June 1920, Page 3

A POT OF VASELINE.

{Aucklzmd Star)

The contrast between gl‘(_-11;, and small in the Hawora pl'olitccz-mg u.-use I‘elnim,ls us of an unkind .-'Xlucr}«::ul

(zurtoon in the Suulh .:\t'x'ic:lll xvzu" dupicriug the \'\':u' Uflir-c in cc.~:t'as.ies over a. new button. All the migh('_y I'nzlch~ inery Tol’ the 1-’rofiteel-ing Act of Inst‘ year, of the Board of '.l.‘rad«_~ and local tribunul.<, is set, going to punish a. ch(-mist for Selling for one :111(l three-

pence an article which before the war soltl for a shilling, and very I)21t11L‘:L11y u,_.({m~ the cil«rumst:Lnco.~ it fails. it like time sccne that m;=<:usi(,»ll:ll]y occurs in nu .}*}ugii.<h assize to\'»'Xl} when a

jmigtb cmuxcs‘ damn t";'om d.nndou in

.<t;lte to ll‘_\' :1 tramp for stealing a loaf.‘ of’ brt‘-tul f't'om :1 shop. Most people will ask mo qno>*tions about this Ha\\‘t‘.l‘:l (:mnctly——~\\'lty was >'uc.ll a ltopeless case laken up by the Crown, uml ‘are l7llCl‘(.‘ 110 large fish in the Bnf1.1‘(l of Tl'a<"te's sea that it: must go angling for spl':lts‘? The (,frown’s case was that the profit on this zu-riolc should be COXISi(ICI'C(I apart from profits on other stock, and that the same article had been sold for zt shilling‘ by other chemists» and tenpence by a. grocer. \Vith regarul to the lirst‘ point the l\tl‘agistrate took the sensiblclline that profits on. :Irl’iele.< must‘ vary, since sorne .'u'ti<-los are turned over more mpiclly than others. 111 this case the sale of pots of Vaseline would be only 11. couple of dozen in :1 your! The second point was blunted" considerably by the fuel that :1 chclnist——he may have l)(.‘.(‘.11 the only one-——c:tlled by the Crown, who sold v:l.sel'ine for a shilling, was nmnager of a. Friendly Societies’ dispensary, which does not seek the same profit as a private chemist, and this num adntitted that if he were in 1~,n;.-ine.~'s for himself he would not 11t‘oc.~‘.s'.t~.'ily be content to sell. goods

at the prices cltargod by the dispcn-"I .~:u‘_y. Tlm tlifl’ol‘cll(:e between the groom-’s price and the (:llcmist:’s price,‘ as the I'l’-.l,r:i.~'trat.o pointed out, must‘ be viewed in the light of the fact, that the chemist has to consider his‘ ;~.l'n’r'c.<sion:ll skill. It is well known_ tlmt nluny HllOs can be bought more] cheaply at :1 grocer ’s than at 9, cllem- . ist’s, and the main reason for this! should have beer} apparent to the authorities. The Government stands in‘ the foolisll posifion of having set the: law in motion about :1 trifle, and putt a. tradcsman to the worry and perhaps] loss of an action in Court on evid-1 once that could have impressed nobody except those responsible for tho pro.‘<:\clltiull.4lt‘ .\l'r Massey is in any posi- ‘ tion to know whalt poopln urn saying }:'2.ll('l thinking. lm must. know that. :1 prosecution like this tonrls to bring the ‘ whole anti-prof‘it'ool'ing ma<3hinm'y into i (ll.il'(‘pllt‘€.