BOARD OF TRADE BILL.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16654, 15 October 1919, Page 6

BOARD OF TRADE BILL.

« UPPER HOUSE AMENDMENTS. ONE NOT ACCEPTABLE. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, October 14. i A suggestion regarding tho Board of Trado Bill was made in tho House of Representatives this afternoon by Mr A. M. Myers, who asked tho Prime Minister whether it would' he possible to allow those wishing to do so to give evidence concerning the provision of tho Bill before it passed into law. Mr Massey saiid that lie was afraid that it "would hardly be possible to do t-.0. Tho measure had been before both Houses, and now had 1o come down from the Legislative Council. It only remained for the House to agree to tho amendments made by the Council, and for the Bill to receive the assent of the Governor-General. Mr Wilford: Or to disagree. Mr Massey: "Yes, or to disagree. As a matter of fact, there is one amendment with which I propose, to ask the House to disagree. He went on to say that he had received a great many letters regarding the Bill, and the greater aumber of them were about the amendment with which lie wished the House to disagree. Mr Myers said ho_ fully appreciated! that under tho ordinary rules there were no means of taking evidence regarding the Bill in the stage which it had now readied, but he asked tho Prime. Minister if lie would receive evidence by telegram which, might convince him of tho necessity of having the Bill rc-committed, or of taking any steps, necessary to enable alterations to Be made to it. 1 | Mr Massey said that, as he had previously stated, ho had received a numl»r of objections to the Bill. He had held the measure back lin order that the objections might be stated to him, but he could not delay it much longer, or its chances of passing into law might be imperilled. The. objections were almost all upon the one clause embodying the amendinent which he diid not propose to QUESTION OF EXCESSIVE PROFIT. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND I , October 14. Board of Trade Bill was discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, ,and other representatives of the wholesale and retail manufacturing interests. It was resolved:—"That this meeting Having regard to the very wide terms of the Board of Trade Bill, requests the Prime Minister to permit the recommittal of the Bill, with a view to obtaining, inter alia, an assurance (a) that the cost of replacement of an article or product shall be the basis of computation when the question of excessive profit arises, and that the average net profit upon the, turnover of a b"usinos3, and not the return upon . a specific article or product, shall be the determining factor; (b) that in framing the regulations contemplated under sec+ion 27, provision be made whereby sections of the community affected shall be consulted.". THE GOAL DISPUTE.. ♦ .TIMBER WORKERS' ATTITUDE. (press association telegram.) GREYMOUTH, October 14. At the annual meeting of tho West Coast Timber Workers' Union, which was attended by about one hundred members, tho following resolutions were carried: 'That this meeting views with alarm the attitude adopted by tho mine-owners in refusing to again meet die miners' representatives with a view to coming to a settlement of tho present disputo, and calls upon the Government, to summon a compulsory conference of both parties, and if no settlement is arrived at, that--the Government shall at onco nationalise all ooal mines .worth nationalising, and set. about in a businesslike manner to deal with the discontent existing in the mining industry by making the conditions of work and the housing conditions more attractive"; "That this meeting condemns the attitude adopted by the coal-owners, who seem to this meeting to have the backing of the Government in trying to force industrial trouble in the hope ■:? gaining some political advantage''; "That this meeting congratulates the Transport Workers' Advisory Board on the able manner in which they have conflicted the dispute up to now, anl trusts that their untiring efforts will be rewarded by an umi cable settlement) being arrived at."