PRICE CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 16

PRICE CONTROL.

TRIBUNAL SET UP. JUDGE AND ACCOUNTANT. PREVENTING PROFITEERING. (l-'l'iiin Our ('n|-re-|Miiii|i'Ml. I \\■KLI.INCToN. Wedno-übis. the (iitvoniment's di-eisii>ii t" il|i|ioint II special tribunal to cXi'lvic-c i• • 111 iniiniH emit ml over prices, eompris-ill-_r Mr. .lu-tice Hunter and an investiuaiin,,, arcniiiitiiiit, the Minister <>f Imbi-trie- and ( oinnien-e. the Hon. 1). (I MilliNiiM, -luted in :in iut'i. icw Nvitli tin- "Staiiibird" that in February bt-t he in', hunted the (Jii\ eniincnt "s att it ml" in ie-|ii-et to the control ul' prices and profit eerinj.', He -nid the <iu<-~1 ion nl' kei'piii'j pi ieiis fttiilili> in the presenl

• itnatii'li \mis one that had been receiv in;.- lii" attention and thai of the (invI'liiiueiit fjenenilly for smne «-mif-idernble t iine. Continuous Supervision. "Th" Covrrnnient has decided to ill-point il special tribunal. \\]i.i-e function it n\ ill be to exercise continuous "iipen ii»inii nver ptices. to e\amine jirici , iiici'i';i-i'v to nrr:iii{re fur invps.tijratioii-» and iiii|iiiiieri in reyiii'il I i sueli iucreasi's and -in refinrd to the rril«oiiiibleue-is or ilMieiisiunibleness of prices, and to make recoiumeuda tion« to the (iovernment thereon." «nid the Minister. "The triliiinnl \n ill lie civen powers nf judicial iinpiiiv tinder the. Ifmiril of Trade Act. l!M!l. nnd will be jibl" to call pnrsoiH before it if necessary to jiive evidence in support of any increases in prices. Method of Control. "In addition to this the Cinvernment Wμ* decided (i> pn«n re-jiihit ions under the TJoiird of Trade Ael requiring persona who are about Co increase their prices to notify the tribunal to that effect and tn pivn reasons in support of their action. The tribunal will then • \amine tlie rm-nm put forward , for the increase nnd if filch increase is not justified the mutter will be taken tip by the t-i'uinnl with the t>nrtie=! concerned. This procedure Nvill nuke for more effect ive pontl'ol over prices."