PRICE OF VASELINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1920, Page 5

PRICE OF VASELINE.

THE HAWERA CASE. , DECISION RESERVED. By Telep-aph.—Prsss Association. Hawera, Last Night. In the ease against George Tuit, chemist, charged with making an unreasonable profit from the sale of a four-ounce pot of Cheesborough vaseline at la 3d, further evidence was given by the secretary of the Friendly Society's Dispensary, who stated that last year's returns wouid not satisfy any concern. Two grocers also gave evidence as to their dealings in vaseline. The local representative of the Board of Trade stated that a fortnight ago. on'! chemist reduced the price of vaseline to a shilling. Previously all were selling at Is 3d. * Hubert Stark, accountant, said that ho had made up Tait's profit and loss trading account. The return on the capital invested was not, in his op'inion, unreasonably high; it was more a return for skill than for capital; the return was low taking all the circumstances into consideration. George Tait, defendant, said the business was carried on by his father for 29 years. He went into camp in January, 3917, and in February, 1919, he returned. When he returned lie found his father was carrying on in temporary business premises, and doing dispensing alone. Later they rebuilt. There were three brothers in the business. In November, 1919, he and his brother took over from their father. A lump sum of £BOO was paid for fittings and the goodwill of the lease. The book debts and goodwill of the business wore a present from his father, lie valued the goodwill at £4oo'at least. When taking over there were one and ahalf dozen of vaseline. Half a dozen of this was left now. The output would he about two dozen a year. The bottle produced was from the stock taken over. There was every possibility that the bottle sold to Chappie had been through the fire. He could giVe.abso.lutely no idea what was paid for the vaseline. Before the war a 4oz. pot cost, a shilling. The cost to the chemist could not be lower than 69 Cd. In charging Is 3d he was not overcharging, nor would it be too much to ask Is Cd. Robert Tait, the father, said he could not tell what, price was paid for vaseline. In selling to his sons he had roughly estimated the value of the stock; no stock list was made out. The estimate would be correct within £SO. George Duncan Law, first assistant, another chemist, stated that he had previously worked for a chemist in-Lyttcl-ton. Witness had sold largo pots of vaseline there at Is 3d, and considered it quite a fair price; that was the general opinion. In saying this he had regard to the primary law of the chemist not to split threepenny bits. The Magistrate intimated that he would give his decision in writing.