TRUST LEGISLATION

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 286, 30 August 1935, Page 8

TRUST LEGISLATION

Manufacturers Support Proposed Bill

‘“ALMOST UNANIMOUS”

The proposed Commercial Trusts Amendment Bill was considered at yesterday’s meeting of the Dominion Council of the Naw Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, and at the conclusion of the meeting a ipember oi the council stated that Dominion manufacturers appeared to be almost unanimous in supporting the measure, and the council had placed on record its hope that the House would pass it during this session. The proposal, he added, appeared to have beei* misunderstood when previously introduced in Parliament; aud the result had been opposition based, he felt sure, on a misapprehension of the Bil.l's intention. Some members of the Labour Party appeared to imagine that the Bill would allow exploitation of the consumer by unfairly raising the cost of living.

Actually, under the Bill, as drafted, he said, the only provision was that it should be a “defence” in any prosecution if the trader, when charged, were able to prove that, in that particular ease the arrangement wa-- (a) not unfair to the persons immediately affected, and (b) not prejudicial to the public welfare. The department would still have power to prosecute firms which attempted to fix prices .of foodstuffs. All that the Bill provided was- that it should be a sufficient defence to prove that the arrangement was perfectly fair to all parlies concerned, including, of course, the public.