TRADE COMBINES

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1945, Page 6

TRADE COMBINES

DISCUSSION IN LORDS.

RUGBY, March 21.

Monopolies, cartels, trade associations, and restrictive trade practices were generally discussed m tne House of Lords to-day when fiord Nathan asked what the Government’s policy was in relation to those matters, fhei e was public alarm among all parties, he said, because of the new powers of combines, which had been especially accentuated by the war. Monopoly could and did keep up prices and cut down trade or adopt restrictive power on trade and employment. Lord Samuel pointed out that the traders got. together after the slump to prevent more slumps. Lord Geddes defending, big combines, said he was associated with copper, producing companies in Rhodesia. As a’result of their work he was able to tell Mr. Neville Chamberlain in 1939 that our copper requirements would be met if war came, and that was at a time when the United States was not supplying anything to belligerents. There was nothing in the whole record of the associations, combinations or cartels with which he was associated that he would be afraid to hear discussed on the floor of the House of Commons. They had worked for the good of the nation. Replying for the Government Lord Woolton said our most vital social problem was the maintenance of the employment on a high stable level and that must not be frustrated by restrictive practices. By restrictive agreements the Government had in mind trade practices of both workers and employers. He had found complete agreement among all parties on two is-

sues: One that the growth of very large firms was continuing; and, two, that there was a danger of this growth being against public interest. He added: ‘'■l want to check abuses of monopololies.” He personally, was eager to find a solution of these problems, but he would not clutter up industry with, any more inspectors than were needed.. Some trade associations, he felt, were beneficient, but some were doing harm to this country. They must be judged separately. Let them present their position to the Government, and if they and their trade agreements W p re good, let them stand and have Government approval. If they were not good let them be suppressed. As he did not know how long this Parliament would last he could not say when a Bill on the subject would be introduced.