PRICE STABILISATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 June 1940, Page 9

PRICE STABILISATION

BREACH ADMITTED.

FREEZING COMPANY FINED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, June 10.

A breach of the Price Stabilisation Emergency Regulations was admitted in the Magistrates’ Court today by Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd., Waitara, and a conviction was entered with a penalty of £lO (costs £2 17s). The information was laid under regulations gazetted on September 1. 1939 (regulation 5). and the breach alleged was on February 17, 1940. The company, it was stated, sold blood and bone manure in lots of. 50 tens or more at £8 5s a ton, being higher than they were prepared to sell similar goods in similar quantities on September 1. The matter was brought to the notice of the Price Fixation Tribunal, when a concern, which purchased goods in February, applied for leave to increase their reselling price in accordance with the higher price charged them. The tribunal asked Borthwicks for an explanation of the increase, and it was informed that it was the practice of the company to clear out all old stocks before September 20 so as to have stores ready for the new season’s output. They had only followed the usual course adopted every season. Defending counsel said that the company had no wish to flout the regulation and did not appreciate that in following the customary course it had gone outside the regulation. In fixing the penalty, the magistrate said if he thought that the defendants had wilfully ignored the regulations he would not have hesitated to impose the maximum fine of £lOO.