Page 3 Advertisements Column 2

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 27, 31 October 1905, Page 3

The Harvester Trust.

Ii .if ■ • BILL TO CONTROL ITS OPERATIONS. - The Premier, on introduoing a bill dealing with the American Harvester Trust, stated that it was intended that the Bill should expire' m September next. It proposed to set up a Board of Trade or^ Board of Advice, to consist of the Arbitration Court, the president of the Farmers' Union, someone to be appointed by the Trades and Labour Oounoils, and another by the agricultural and pastoral societies. The employers would thus have one representative, the Farmers' Union one, the agricultural and pastoral sooieties one, and Labour two. The president would be a Judge of the Supreme Court. If tbe Harvester Trust or any importing firms unduly lowered prices or started unfair competition, the Board might be oalled on to investigate and report to the Government. If the manufacturers of the colony reduced the prices' of their implements by 30 pßr cent., the Board could then report whether or not a duty should be put on the implements equal to the reduction so made. If the duty was put on, i and the implement makers thereupon raised their prices again, the Board could recommend taking off tbe duty/ It was only a tenative measure. If everything went on smoothly, and the Trust were fair m their business and trade, well and good ; if not, they would bring m the Board to ad vise the Government. This was as far as they could go this session. Should the House not be practically i unanimous over the Bill-, nothing /could be i done this session. After awshort discussion the Bill was read a first time on Saturday.