SALES IN BREACH OF ORDER

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27710, 14 July 1955, Page 14

SALES IN BREACH OF ORDER

WATCH BY PRICE DIVISION (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 13. The Price Control Division was in no way responsible for the widespread non-observance of authorised prices of draught beer, said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. J. Eyre) today. “On the contrary, it is directly due to the initiative of the division in instituting a prosecution more than 12 months ago that the matter has proceeded to the stage where judgment upholding the validity of the price approval was recently given,” said the Minister. “The facts, briefly, are that after the initiation of proceedings by the division for a breach of the law, the Licensed Victuallers’ Association instituted action in the Supreme Court to test the validity of the price approval, and sought an injunction against the Director of Price Control (as well as members of the Price Tribunal) to restrain him from taking enforcement action. “The proceedings taken by the division were heard in the Magistrate’s Court in Palmerston North in June 1954,” the Minister said, “but were adjourned by the Magistrate in view of the action being taken by the association in a higher Court. “Considerable delay occurred before the proceedings were heard in the Supreme Court, and judgment was given only last week. In the meantime, because the whole position was sub judice, it was not possible for the division to take other cases or to proceed with the earlier one. “Now that the judgment of the Supreme Court has been given, the adjourned case will be proceeded with, and prosecutions will be launched by the division in fresh cases,” said Mr Eyre.

“UNDERSTANDING ON PRICE

MINISTER REPLIES TO TARANAKI CHARGE (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 13. “Absolute nonsense—it sounds to me like a bit of alcoholic romancing,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. J. Eyre), commenting on the allegation by the executive committee of the Taranaki Licensed Victuallers’ Association that the retail price of liquor had been the subject of an understanding between the Federation of Labour and the Government. The federation’s president (Mr F. P. Walsh) said that the allegation was complete and utter nonsense. “I am surprised that any responsible persons in the trade should have made such a suggestion,” he said. “It show’s that the trade is in need of saner counsel in dealing with these matters. The federation will feel hurt that such an outrageous allegation has been made.”