Potato Price

At the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Tuesday, a Denaby shopkeeper, Elizabeth Crump, was summoned for making an illegal charge for potatoes.

Lillie Barnett, of 85 Annerley Street, Denaby, the wife of a soldier, said that on Thursday, March 27, she went to the defendant’s shop in Doncaster Road and asked for three pennyworth of potato.

The defendants told her the price was 3 ½ d and she purchased 2 pounds paying 3 ½ d. She also reported the matter to the police and then went back to the shop and informed the defendant she had overcharged her, but defendant refused to refund the halfpenny.

PC Hague said he received a complaint from the last witness, and later saw the defendant and asked the price of potatoes. She told him they were 2 pounds for 3 ½d and added she had been selling them all the time at that price. He informed her that was in excess of the fixed price, and she replied “I didn’t know there have been a price fixed.”

Defendant said she had not been able to go into shop very much owing to illness. She did not know there are been any price fixed. She had acted innocently, and she was very sorry.

The Chairman: This Order has been in operation five or six weeks. Don’t you read the papers?

Defendant: I cannot see very well; I don’t often read the papers.

A fine of 20 shillings was in imposed.