COMMERCIAL TRUSTS ACT.

Mataura Ensign, 29 November 1912, Page 5

COMMERCIAL TRUSTS ACT.

PEE UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION. ' WELLINGTON, Nov. 2D. To-day is tho fifth day of the hearing of the Commercial Trusts Act case. Mr Hosking continued his address for the defence. He admitted a .series of propositions dealing with the Commercial Trusts Act as follows:—(1) That it was permissible to combine to control tho prices of goods if the control were not of a nature contrary to the public interest; (2) that it was permissible for a commercial trust to fix prices which; were not unreasonably high; (3) that it was permissible for anyone to sell goods at prices which were, fixed by a commercial trust if thos<' prices were not unreasonably high; (-1) that it was permissible to sell goods at prices not unreasonably high in uniformity with the determination of a commercial trust. The Act, he, contended, had skilfully left an area within which commercial trusts might operate. The only control that could be against the public interest was one that produced unreasonably high profits or high prices. The onus of proving that the prices were unreasonably high was upon th<« Crown.