A PAIR OF BOOTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 March 1921, Page 5

A PAIR OF BOOTS.

PROFITEERING ALLEGED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A charge of alleged profiteering was brought by the Board of Trade (Mr. Meredith) against Ernest E. (Mr. Hall Skelton), and the defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr. E. *C. Cutten, SJM., was on the Bench. Under section 32 of the Board of Trade Act defendant was charged at Auckland in December, 1920, that he sold to one ‘William Carroll one pair of hand-sewn •boots at £4 19s 6d, which price, the information stated, was unnecessarily high. Mr. Meredith said the suggestion was that they were surgical boots, and actually the only difference was that the inside was continued a little up the side to case the instep. Counsel said he proposed to call evidence to try and show that the profit was considerably over 100 per cent.‘on the cost. Evidence for the prosecution was then called. One boot manufacturer said he could sell the boots in question at a reasonable profit at £2 5s lid per pair. Another manufacturer valued the boots at £2 7s 10|d, and estimated the retail price at £3 16s 4fd, allowing 60 per cent, on the cost for profit and overcharges. After further evidence for the prosecution the case was adjourned.