BOARD OF TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 56, 4 September 1923, Page 10

BOARD OF TRADE

I ACTIVITIES OVER A YEAR I MINISTER,THE SOLE SURVIVOR. ! * ' WORKING OF. COMMERCIAL i '. ■ TRUSTS ACT. i ; In the annual report 'of the Departittsnt of Industries, and Commerce (Board , of Trade) it is; stated that there has been ; a considerable reduction -since last re- ; port in both" staff and expenditure. Mr. -.W. G. M'Donald, chairman for some "years, resigned- and the Minister of Industries and Commerce i 3at present' rthe only member of the board. ",' The,, Dominion's exports, and imports : are reviewed, and much information •which has-been given out by Ministers ; from time to time is here put in ac- . cessible form for ready reference. In ;the section dealing with secondary injdustries 'it is shown that they represented sast year £11,519,975 in wages -paid, £39-,9(»,824 in materials used ;£66,847,837.in value of products, and ; £41.384,219 in approximate value of buildings, machinery, and plant. •iA hopeful view is taken of the smelting .of iron ore in the Nelson district, and ; orders for pig iron have been placed ; Furniture making is improved consider.ably; clothing business gradually imiproved jvith keen.competition. for labour: 'tanneries prospects fair; boot and shoe jtrade, "heavy importations have affect.cd • the industry most seriously"; local f fertiliser.works have no protection bat ' have nevertheless been able to capture (the whole trade in this class (phosphatic ►manures);' confectionery and biscuits, • satisfactory trade, "labour none too plentiful ; cement, satisfactory, and increasing business; woollen manufacturing, "doesf-.no.fc-appear to have suffered an any material degree from the general i trade depression"—seeing a market for lightweight '.woollens in the East. I The~history of. the sugar and wheat ?and nonr»DUßiness is fully detailed : WithTiegard to' gas (for cooking'and 'lighting)-- :"it ha« now been decided :(states the- report) that control is neicessary Cand reasonably possible under ;the circumstances; in which the indus.•try la carriedon." ..' ; ~f COMPETITION. » It is stated that the report does not "refer specially to more than a small of the diversified work undertaken by the Department. The present -organisation arid staff of the Department ;do. not permit of continuous super■Ti3ion of prices and. conditions of sale of commodities throughout the various "centres of the Dominion. Inquiries are Tnade-when and where this course ap.be necessary, but in general ..the Department believes that the force ;of unrestricted competition provides an ■adequate safeguard to the. interests of and that there should therefore be no necessity for official inter--ference in trades and localities where .evidence, of combination between tracers V>x purposes of price control is entirely Jacking. . J

~ „ An. example of the Department's ■policy jn this, connection may be citei nn the-cas'e-of retail prices of > meat in t vanoua"towjis..".Where inquiries fcave; Jpean made the" evidence, and also the »marked disparity in the prices charged £by competing .firms, has indicated that aridujn-'soma' cases Tceeh fcompefitibri -*as operated; consequently in such cases Sio official interference has been warranted. ... T — t—MODERN TENDENCIES. ■ abundantly; evident "that the tendency towards price-main-tenance and the restriction of competition by varying forms of trade associations is a growing factor in our commerjcial life. The operation of the 'law of supply and demand' is to an increasing pixtent_ conditioiiecl and set aside by. the action of manufacturers and and, while'the benefits arising gromthe formation and operation of +combine 3 and trade associations ars.of ■»great economic importance,, the necessity official supervision and safeguards j the abuse of monopojistic powers ' •increases as free competition los&* its .jorce. . 5 \"33ie,t?,uppprtersof tie.policy of hon- I ;with trade lose sight of the i _lact,,tHafc,"free"doni from/public control 2? 7«».T,nfean- iii'lmany instances riot free j but concerted or unified I -eontio^by/i private interests. • If business j -j!ond[itipnsjnecessitate or make economic- ' the fixation of prices by *.any organised"body, it is necessary that ..such: nSatipnsrshould. be subjeot to Govt6 'safeguard the -^nterests-.of-corisuinera;" ' V-' ..

Z CQMKIi^CIAt. TItUSTS ACT. of Trade Act, 1919 give -ample^powapfaiv-the -maintenance of. C 6nditions,~ and from <&w« to .-time- legal action has been taken those Acts. The Department, -3iowerar, favours a policy which will en3bleTnanufacturers and traders to secure themselves and .for the community -all the benefits of combined action and -at' tfie'SainXltime'check' the tendency to-' ■^'fJru 6e of monoPolistic powers. — ■• The Department is therefore endearto the linuts of its capacity to prevent the adoption of unfair metriods ;of conducting business, and is also dealing with any instances in which unreasonably high prices appear to bo jcharged. At the same time, the construc- : -tive_ work of the Department is' being ..carried .on, and everything possible is r«o«ng done to assist.in promoting, the of the trades and industries of itne Dominion."