PRICE TRIBUNAL CRITICISED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 136, 20 March 1948, Page 4

PRICE TRIBUNAL CRITICISED

“ Cheap Support of Inefficiency”

ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MEET

(P.A.)

DUNEDIN, March 19,

" “The Price Tribunal has become the cheap support of inefficiency,” said Mr Stronacli Paterson (Wellington) at this- morning’s session of the Associated Chambers of Commerce. “Aided and abetted by the import control system, persons are getting import licences for goods they know nothing about —goods of inferior quality unadapted to our conditions and unwanted in New Zealand. The'thing has become a complete and utter farce.”

It was agreed that the attention of the Government be drawn to the “very inequitable methods adopted by the Price Tribunal in fixing prices and margins.” After considerable discussion, the conference adopted a remit recording its opinion that the turning of the Price Tribunal into a permanent Government department was both unneessary and unjustifiable, and urged that the legislation be amended at the next session of Parliament to provide for an annual review of the situation. Spread of Holidays The effect of the Annual Holidays Act, 1944, in creating various forms of congestion was criticised in a Wellington remit which urged the Associated Chambers to confer with other interested organisatons and to appoint a national committee to recommend a greater spread of holidays. The remit was carried after delegats had discussed the difficulties of staggering holidays. '

An Auckland and Dunedin remit was approved this morning, as follows: “This conference deprecate© the growing practice of conferring on Ministers final and arbitrary powers of making decisions which are not subject to appeal to any judicial authority, and re■commenrs that, statutory authority be enacted for the appointment, of a committee with power to eliminate from future regulations before they become law all provisions which are contrary to true democratic principles.”