PRICE CONTROL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25346, 20 November 1947, Page 10

PRICE CONTROL

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE PASSES BILL DEFEAT OF OPPOSITION AMENDMENTS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. The Control of Prices Bill was passed by the House of Representatives after a number of Opposition amendments had been defeated. The bill would not result in the production of one more house or one more suit of clothes, said Mr M. H. Oram < Opposition, Manawatu). There ■was nothing to show that the bill was not part of the political edifice being erected by the Government and it would not benefit the community at all.

Mr Nordmeyer said it was true there ■was no time limit to the bill, but it seemed more honest to come before the House and say the Government could not tell whether there would be need for price control at the end of three years or longer than to fix a limit straight away.

The Opposition then moved a series of amendments. One moved by Mr J. T. Watts (Opposition. St. Albans) sought to limit the duration of the bill by fixing the expiry date at December 3*l, 1948. This was defeated by 37 votes to 34 on a division. Mr C. M. Bowden (Opposition. Karori) moved to limit the number of ordinary members o‘ the Price Tribunal to three, instead of permitting an unlimited number as provided for in the bill, and to strike out the provision for associate members.

Mr E. R. Neale (Opposition. Nelson) moved an amendment that sittings of the tribunal be in private unless it should decide otherwise.

Mr Watts moved an amendment to the clause dealing with the general powers and functions of the tribunal. This stated that in fixing pr : ces for goods and services the tribunal should take into account the necessity for increasing production of all types cf goods, encouragement of incentives to workers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, the efficiency of an applicant for a price order, the assets involved in his business, and all other relevant considerations, and the interests cf the general public as consumers. Mr T. C. Webb (Opposition, Rodney) moved the deletion of a clause giving power to search premises and insnect stocks and take samples and the substitution in its place of a clause providing that this could be done only on the issue of a warrant by a magistrate.

Mr W. A. Sheat (Opposition. Patea) sought to amend thp clause prescribing penalties bv striking out the reference to a minimum penalty of £53.

W ,T. P Hanan 'O” r nvprcargili) moved that the bill should bind the Crown, with a proviso that the Governor-General could by Order-in-Council pxenv~ + any < 4 ena-mant of State or corporation owned bv the from the provisions of the bill. After these amendments had been r. Cnvorn"-onf BT'->'»nd’r'Pnt providing that no person should be liable to prosecution on account of evidence he might be reouired to give before the tribunal was adopted. Mr Nordmeyer said had been drafted to cbiections raised earlier bv Mr R. M. Algie (Opposition, Remuera).