Price Increases: Alleged Delay Of Announcement

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 November 1949, Page 4

Price Increases: Alleged Delay Of Announcement

WELLINGTON, This Day (P.A.) —An allegation that the Government was withholding, notification of price increases was made by Mr W. A. Sheat, National candidate for Patea, speaking at Gonville. Mr Sheat said he understood, on authority of a leading businessman closely in touch with operations of the Price. Tribunal, particularly those affecting household commodities, that the tribunal had recently approved in principle increased prices for a number of commodities, but that issue of the price orders would be delayed until after the election. He challenged the Government to give these allegations an unqualified denial, and also to give and assurance that no political pressure had been used on the Price Tribunal or the price control division of the Department of Industries and Commerce to delay announcing increases. The public, he said, would recall the suggestions of increased petrol prices, which appeared inevitable, and the official statement that a rise would be unnecesary for some months because of existing stocks. If stocks were sufficient to delay an advance in price, it raised doubt as to whether there was need for rationing.