RISING PRICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 167, 16 July 1936, Page 5

RISING PRICES.

GOVERNMENT TO ACT. TRIBUNAL PROPOSAL. PROTECTION OF PUBLIC. (Ey Telegraph.— Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Prime Minister has stated publicly that he will allow no exploitation j of the public through rises in commodity prices, and point is given to this statement by the announcement to-day by the Minister of Industries and Commerce. the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, that shortly there will be established a judicial tribunal with statutory poweis to regulate prices. Mr. Sullivan said that as soon as possible after the resumption of Parliament next week, legislation would be introduced setting up this special tribunal, which would have full powers to control and regulate prices in the public interest. It would consist of a magistrate, as president, and two assessors. Briefly, the object of the Court would be the prevention of increases in costs which were not thoroughly justifiable. The assessors, Mr. Sullivan added, would be thoroughly competent and experienced to advise the magistrate. He emphasised that the function of the tribunal would be not so much the fixation of prices as their control and regulation. Its operations would be made retrospective tQ a date to be fixed in the bill, so that the tribunal would be able to investigate any increases that had been made in recent weeks, in relation to the effects of the new legislation. All commodities except those already dealt with during recent months would' come within its scope. There would be exceptions, and they would include commodities with which it would not be practicable to deal. Headquarters would be in Wellington. Explaining the procedure. Mr. Sullivan said that all members of the public who felt that they were being exploited in regard to prices would be entitled to submit their complaints either to the Minister or to the Department of Industries and Commerce. If it were thought necessary the Minister or the Department could refer the case to the tribunal. The Government intended to give all cases full reasonable publicity, the tribunal having the right to determine whether any intimate fact concerning any business should be made public or not. Speaking broadly of the whole subject, the Minister said that the Government was aiming at fair play for businesses and for the general public as well. The title of the proposed bill, he thought, would be the Prevention of Profiteering Bill. It had been drafted, and while Cabinet would have to give final approval, the general principles he had enunciated would be followed.