COST OF FOOD INQUIRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 67, 19 March 1915, Page 3

COST OF FOOD INQUIRY.

SECRET METHODS CONDEMNED.. The now exceedingly familiar resolution of the Runanga Borough Council, protesting •to the Government against advanced prices for foodstuffs, is much better known- than is Runanga itself. Members of ..local bodies ..all over New Zealand have learned during the past few weeks.that it is situated somewhere north of Greymoutb, and has a borough council and other' modern conveniences. Generally the resolution protesting against the price of foodstuffs has provided an irresistible opening for. embryo economists to air their views upon that fine-sounding subject, the laws 'of production, distribution, and exchange. Having satisfactorily learned the geography of Runanga' last night, several councillors proceeded to discuss the subject matter of it, ranging from the exploitation of merchants to the wheat yields of New Zealand and Australia, and taking in the virtues and shortcomings of Government in their stride. It was Mr. G. J. Garland who nailed the subject finally, and caused it to be referred to the Finance. Committee for careful consideration in all it's bearings. As a member of the Cost of Food ComI mission, he said, he had fought hard from the beginning and all the time for i their sittings to be open to the Pros-. He had always maintained that when their proceedings as a Commission were of such a nature as could not fairly be reported the Commission could go into' committee as any other public body did. He was satisfied, however, that matters would not be improved until their proceedings were, in a general way, open to the Press. The people would never be satisfied, and they were quite right not to be satisfied, until they bad read some of the evidence in the public Press.