PATENT MEDICINES

Grey River Argus, 25 August 1939, Page 12

PATENT MEDICINES

Fraud in N.Z. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR AN INVESTIGATION. PARLIAMENT BLDGS., August 24. In the Legislative Council the debate was continued on the motion of Hon. V. A. Ward (Wellington), recommending the Government, to set up a Parliamentary Committee to investigate the sale of patent medicines and appliances. Hon. B. Martin (Auckland) said that a case had been made out for an investigation, and he considered that the motion should also take in adulterated foodstuffs and shoddv clothing and footwear. The Leader of the Council, Hon. D. Wilson, congratulated Hon. Mr Ward on bringing the matter before the Council, and said that investigations had shown that patent medicines were sold at 700 and 800 per cent, profit. Such profits were improper, even it the medicines were of value in illness. As far as the advertising of patent medicines by the Commercial Broadcasting Stations was concerned, every endeavour was made to see that the advertisers did not make extravagant claims, and some advertising contracts had been refused, because the articles had been proved useless. After Hon. Mr Ward had replied, the motion was carried.