EXPLOITATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17206, 28 June 1916, Page 6

EXPLOITATION.

The Board of Trado has made a definite statement which tho .Government cannot ignore without committing a serious breach of faith. If the Cost of Living Act is to be worth the paper it is printed on and tho Board of Trade worth what it costs, there must bo something moro tangible than recommendations. Wo believe the gentlemen who have been appointed to this Board are fully seized of the importance of their mission and intend to perform their part of the contract. They have been inquiring into tho rela--tivo prices of bread and of the raw materials, and havo evidently made investigations into the cost of milling, of baking and of delivery. A scale has been drawn up to show in what proportions the fluctuating prices of wheat should, in the opinion of the Board, influence the price of bread, and some interesting suggestions are made on the subject of automatic baking. These matters, wo sincerely hope, will be considered very carefully by the Government with a view to action. But the outstanding feature of the report so far as can be gathered from tho telegraphed summary is that it conveys a definite charge of exploitation. The Board of Trado claims to havo evidence that falso information as to market values has been published by unscrupulous speculators, and that ,his has been followed by an artificial inflation of prices to tho dotriment, of course, of the consumer. Wo are sure that it is the Government’s plain duty to take this matter up without delay. Mr Massey must test this statement by the Board, and if it proves correct an example should be made of tho exploiters. Tho Board has given moro than a hint that the speculator has been able to juggle with the people’s food. No Government vortli its salt will pass legislation and establish machinery to circumvent the exploiter, and then refuse to act upon such a prcciso statement on tho subject as is now revealed.