RE-LABELLING FROZEN MUTTON.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3275, 21 July 1911, Page 2

RE-LABELLING FROZEN MUTTON.

AUSTRALIAN TAGGED AS NEW ZEALAND. The cases which the New Zealand Government brought against the firm of Messrs James Hall and Son, of Liverpool. have (reports a London correspondent) all been dismissed for lack of a prima facie case. The allegations were that this firm, which holds large contracts for the supply of meat to the vessels of the Allan Line, has been in the habit of supplying Australian mutton with New Zealand labels, and that the labels were those of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, which has been defunct for some years. The defendants alleged that they had been granted special permission by the New Zealand Refrigerating Company to use their name and brand, and they bad never received any complaint as to the quality of the mutton. A storage clerk deposed to the quantities of mutton which passed through the stores for Messrs Hall and Son, but stated 1 that he could not sav what the mutton was—<tliere was no record of the origin. A store foreman said no permanent record of the stocks was kept. About the middle of March there were 89 New Zealand carcases in the store belonging to Hall’s, and fifty more were added by the end of the month. During that time he delivered 214 New Zealand sheep, but lie could not say where the difference came from. George Field, a cold store laborer, said lie assisted to take the tags off 62 or 63 sheep received by. Hall’s cartel. They were really Australian sheep, but when. re-tagged they could not be distinguished from New Zealand. The magistrate dismissed 1 the summons on the ground that there was no prima facie case. No costs were allowed. The defendants were, however, given costs (£3 3s.'), on the dismissal of the information for applying a false trade mark.