The Ensign WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1920 PURSUING THE PROFITEERS

Mataura Ensign, 28 January 1920, Page 4

The Ensign WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1920 PURSUING THE PROFITEERS

" It is interesting to know that Mr Masscy has not.-forgotten the profiteers 6f M the Dominion, in an ofhe al statement published ' vestcrday, he draws special "attention to the 1 ariti-prohteer-Aig clauses' of the Board of Trade Act pa'ssed last session, and describes the various methods eons dered for the eni'orcemenr, of this section of the-Act. ; Section 32- provides that .jevery person commits ah' offence v.<»o, • either as a principal or agent, sells i pv sunolies. or. offers .ibr sale or sup--1 .plv any goods at a price which is un- : "reasonably high; and that the prt?e ' of any goo'ds shall.; be deemed to be . ; unreasonably, high"if. it produces or is calculated to'produce more .-than a ' fair and reasonable rate of commer- :•. cial -profit., to the person, selhng or '■ ■:, supplying, or offering to sell or sup- :: plv those goods, to Ins principal. The. . section also mja.kes. it an offence'to ; ; hoar,d T .or to, refuse -to ■-, sell . g0.04.1s if ;> the hoarding or refusal tends to ra : se ' the cost of other &inilar goods to the ; public, . ..',.;.;. u For the present; and l in- order to provide for immediate' requirements-, an an - angement has-been, made by which theittspectorsandofficials of the Labor says Mr, Massey;. "\vH iro-ODerate with-the Board' of Trade, Any member of the public who lias evidence thaitJ "an "offence '-against"s-ta-tutory prohibition of excess:ye.;profit.s has been committed should? commithicate with the nearest official of the Department pfvLabdr. .v That ..'officiai. tvill forward Particulars■.•of-the vcomplaiixt to ■ the Boardvof Trade,.'trader whose direct ; on the ; matter will be - fully l investigated, jlf it *be'fbultd that there is proof of the' **ommissiori of" ail otfeixce, proceed'ngs io-ffender r will -'be---' -taken under wlirection of-the:Board of Trade, jeVeiv'prQ'secutaeri 'being., conducted! by jit'tfe-' Crown-Solicitor of; th<r district." - regarding profiteer:;iig,':hui; ot coursey. many -are made without :-any real oauste. There are i many, pep pie who- smell profiteer mg. in 'almost ..fevery .:balanee-£.heet thao rshows. fa surplus, aod-jn every rise..in -the prick lof anv commodity from tobacco to ,:cement. Tt i -^^o.^:teb^:idle^ i to• deny that •a selecr few have used the upward itrend of pr.ces due to war condit ons to [exploit- thg.^on^iMnlt^'^lipur^e.-4§<jTrally ?it would be foolish to ignore that the whp.^are. most, .yopif in •their condemnation' of the profiteer : would befhard exactly uvhat they' mean, ._.'. or to "place'.. their on-any cases. ;To ; the -.minds': or , those ignorant of 'finapc-al; any ..trader charging ...and'Receiving a price, considerably ibeyond >p re-waff- values, is callously., and I ior-:- his own, mercenary ' ends, taking ja ijioan .'advantage' of the, public's; neces--1 s"iv., v As. we.have said, although .the icharge is-.justified.in certain instances-, ; it often enough lias no foundation "in , facti. v '-But ■ that-r ?$ • np. reason; why -,, the ; trader who is in. reality robb'ng the ;public- should'go unpunished.; :Mr Massey's instructions to investigate thoroughly cases .of profiteering. ..to-obtain any. reliable information, and im't ; atQVprpsetmt ons, may serve a double- purpose. It may lead to a demonstration : . that profiteering in' its true meaning i§..muchilessi, widespread \ thin many people imag'ne. ,0n the JniUer Hand, : : the conviction and punish-;j inenV ofi.ahy persons, who .have .'oyer-] stepped;'', the"' bounds ;of fair trading J woufd, produce salutary effects. Some people est mate .the moral-' 1 ty\ of. present-day. trading by ; compai"-■ ing. pi'etwiar and "current prices, but this", 'of course,..i.s quite irrational. : .In order, to.get at the facts, it is necessary, to make a full allowance for prac- : ticaljy all the items that enter into 'cost of product'on; including the,; wages of labor here arid' abroad, and transport "charges/ pvtr long and short dis-, tances."Making due allowances, however, some instances of increases hi prices are' "cited' from time to time that, to say the least of it, call for investigatiou. The.Board of Trade Act, of wlrchHon. W. D. S. Mac Donald was the political father, and Mr. Massev the adopted father, is a measure uvat provides ample machinery of search, .audi heavy penalties for unfair. trading. Mr Massey has done a w r se tbirigin"'remihdiijg both traders and the public of N its, existence.