CURB ON RISING PRICES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 223, 17 June 1936, Page 10

CURB ON RISING PRICES

Government Watchful

BUT NO HARASSMENT OF BUSINESS PEOPLE

A suggestion from Christchurch that the Government intended to appoint accountants to investigate the affairs of important firms, particularly to 'see the effect of the new industrial legislation, was specifically denied by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in an interview last night. “Such a suggestion has no foundation at all,” said Mr. Savage, “because it would imply, tor one thing, that the Government is out looking for trouble. As I have said time and again, from the- public platform and elsewhere, we have no intention whatever of harass Ing business people and putting ob stacles in their way. At the same time this does not mean that the Govern ment will not watch very closely any tendency on the part, of any industry to take undue advantage of changed conditions.

“There can be no argument against the fact that if one industry is allow ed to exploit, the people and make undue profits it can only do that either at the expense of some other industry or the consumers. "We Intend to watch developments of that sort and if necessary to make use of all the powers that are already available under the Board of Trade Act for dealing with exploitation.

“In the meantime our desire is to play the part of a referee, seeing that both sides get a fair deal, because we have already recognised that the man who pays wages is •entitled to consideration as well as the man who receives them.”