BOARD OF TRADE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15567, 17 April 1916, Page 8

BOARD OF TRADE.

4 EXERCISING ITS FUNCTIONS. (special to "the TRESS.") WELLINGTON. April 15. The Board of Trade has returned to Wellington from a tSoutli Island tour with regard to wheat, flour, and bread in chief, and coal and fruit. In an interview with members of the Board obtained by the "Post" to-day, it was learned that tho Board confined its enquiries to wheat, flour, and bread in Canterbury for the most part. The Board found all engaged in the 1 flour and bread-making industries most ready in giving information, much of which was, of course, quite confidential. The Board is satisfied that unless its examinations of witnesses were conducted in camera it would not be possible. to obtain all tho valuable data that was and would be forthcoming, but would not be available if the proceedings were fully reported in the Press. Tho original intention was to make a thorough investigation into prices for tho necessaries of life ruling from 1912 —two years before the war—to the present time. The enquiry has not, up to the present time, been pushed ,so far as to gain- information of the costs of wheat production. At Runanga much interest was taken by the Board in the working of the co-oncrative bakery there. Evidence had been taken, on request, as to tho working of coal and its distribution when the Board was on the West Coast. Representations made by the Westport Chamber of Commerce showed that further development of the coalmining industry would result in the cheapening of coal for household purposes. ' Investigations were made into complaints of alleged infringements of the Commercial Trusts Act. The Board, besides, went into the matter of the prices of meat, petrol, fish, and fruit. With regard to fruit, considerable attention was paid when in Nelson to proposals fot' lessening the ruling costs of distribution from the producer to the consumer. Fruit, it was realised, could, and should-, be regarded more as an article of food than as a luxury, and there was need for greater improvement in distribution to meet that end. Tho Board had met all classes of the community, and had been appealed to on a great variety of commercial subjects. It had obtained already some most valuable information. Tiiero was months of work ahead.