PROFITEERING.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1921, Page 4

PROFITEERING.

SEVENTY PER CENT ON CTJOTh HEAVY FINES INFLICTED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Last Night. Mr. Bartholomew, -S.M., gave judg ment to-day in the case against Douglas Bernstein and the Drapery Importing Co, Ltd. (D.1.C.). Bernstein, a warehouseman. was charged with selling to the D.I.C. 105 .yards of costume cloth manufactured by the Bruce Woollen Co. at the price of 12s 6d a yard, which, it was held, was unreasonably high. The Magistrate said the defendant took advantage of a short supply of the local product to sell at an unreasonably high price depriving the consumer of benefit from local industry. The defendant’s profit of 68.7 per cent was to be contrasted with that of other firms of 33 1-3 per cent. Defendant was fined £2OO and costs Tn the case against the D.1.C., the defendant company sold a yard of cloth purchased from Bernstein at 12s fid for 21s, and the respective prices lesg discount were 12s and 20s fid. giving a profit of 70 per cent. The said the company’s explanations were somewhat lame and forced. A fine of £359 and costs was imposed. The maximum penalty for a body was £ 1000.