NO EXPLOITATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 14, 16 July 1936, Page 10

NO EXPLOITATION

FIXING OF PRICES

GOVERNMENT ACTION

TRIBUNAL PROPOSED

Steps which will be taken by the Government to prevent exploitation of the public through unjustifiable increases in the prices of commodities were outlined by the Minis'^-r of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in a statement made last evening. A Bill will be introduced early in the session to provide for the setting up of a judicial tribunal.

"The objective of the tribunal will be to prevent exploitation of the public," Mr. Sullivan said. "This means that as far as is practicable there will be prevention f increases that are not thoroughly justifiable. The tribunal will be judicial, rather thai, commercial. It will consist of a Magistrate, as president, and two assessors, each of whom will be thoroughly competent and experienced to advise the presiding Magistrate."

The Minister emphasised that the operations of the proposed tribunal would be made retrospective to a date to be fixed in the Bill, so that any increases which had been made in recent weeks could be investigated in relation to the effects of the new industrial legislation. All commodities, apart from those which had already been, dealt with in recent months, would come within the scope of the tribunal's jurisdiction. There would be certain exemptions, of course, which would be set out in the Bill, and would include commodities with which it would not be practicable to deal.

The tribunal would be a central authority with its headquarters in Wellington. The procedure to be followed would be that members of the public who felt they had reason to believe .that they were being exploited with regard to prices would be entitled to submit their complaints either to the Minister or the Department of Industries and Commerce. The Minister or the Department, if thought fit, would then refer, the case to the [tribunal for investigation and decision. It was the intention of the Government to give all cases full publicity, as far as was reasonable, the tribunal having the right to determine whether intimate facts about any business concerned should be made public.

"The purpose, of the tribunal will not be so much the fixation of prices as control and regulation," Mr. Sullivan said. "Every opportunity will be given for a thorough investigation, after cases have been referred to the tribunal, which will have jurisdiction to determine the reasonable price of any commodity it is asked to investigate.

"We are not saying that there must I not be any increase in the prices of commodities, but we do say definitely that such increases .mist be reasonable and justifiable. We are aiming at fair play for business people and equally at fair play for the general public. In other words, the business people must get all that they are entitled to, but, at the same time, the Government is determined to prevent exploitation of [the public."

Mr. Sullivan said that the title of

the proposed Bill would probably be ''The Prevention of Profiteering Bill." It had been drafted, and while it would be necessary to submit the draft to Cabinet for final approval, the general principles he had outlined would [be those followed in the Bill.