STATE INTERFERENCE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 8

STATE INTERFERENCE

A correspondent ("Public Interest ) writes: "The article appearing in 'The Post" under the above heading savours very strongly of propaganda, and it would be interesting to know just which "hampered industry," "discouraged enterprise," or "decayed national development is responsible for'this little thrust at the Board of Trade Act. The writer of the article should have included in his criticism the Commercial .Trusts Act, which ] have no doubt he considers just as insidious as the Board of Trade Act. It is as well that the public should know 'that only these two 'Acts stand between them and higher prices for many articles. Repeal them and the public are at the mßrcy of price-fixers and trusts generally. • Last year the Proprietary Articles Trade Association made an attempt to operate in this country. Under the above-men-, tioned Acts the Government set up a committee of Inquiry, the finding of which was so drastic that the Proprietary Articles Trade Association disbanded These Acts are on the Statute Book expressly to protect the public as a whole, and as long as they remain there is a curb on the price-fixer which at least gives the public some protection . . . The very fact that certain people seek to repeal these Acts should warn the public of the necessity of keeping them on the Statute Book. In the United. States of America, the Sherman Anti-Trust Law is much more drastic than the law in this country. In the United States of America two or more persons conspiring to fix a price commit an offence punishable by imprisonment not exceeding two years, and (not or) a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars. If a similar Act were to operate in this country, prices of hundreds of articles would fall immediately. If there is to be an agitation for the repeal of the Board of Trade Act, then in all fairness let those interested bring it up now before the election, so that we may know just where the various parties and candidates stand."