Penny Overcharge Costs
p. 81 · Read in the full issue
Big Firm £50
Suva, May 5.
BIG fish as well as small are sometimes caught in the net of Fiji’s rigid price control system. Recently an office oversight which resulted in New Zealand butter being sold at 2/8 a pound, instead of the fixed price of 2/7 led to a fine of £5O being imposed on Morris, Hedstrom, Ltd., by the Chief Magistrate (Mr. R. C.
G. D. Higginson) at the Suva Court.
The most interesting feature of the case was the fact that the overcharge was discovered as a result of inquiries made at the Price Control Office by an alert young Fijian who had been charged 2/8 at the firm’s grocery department.
A similar case occurred some months ago when another Fijian, little more than a youth, successfully landed an Indian in court for overcharging for laundry work.
So much for the theory that no Fijian possesses the slightest business sense.
In giving judgment, the Magistrate said that between January 28 and March 12, the sale of 9481 lb. of butter at 2/8 a pound had resulted in an excess profit of something under £4. Of this excess profit the company had since credited nearly one-third to customers, leaving two-thirds without refund as untraceable. But in such cases mistakes through careless ness could not be entirely overlooked.