FAIR AND UNFAIR PRICES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1931, 25 January 1919, Page 2

FAIR AND UNFAIR PRICES.

WKI'LTNG lu the Otago Daily Times, a merchant says:—Two arresting ,-lalements appear in your issue of 'Tuesday. One deals with corrugated iron and hard warp lines, Vour informant stales ilia I some shipmenls lo arrive in New Zealand in about lour weeks' lime will realise £BO to £<)() a lon, and in about J2 months' time £(J0; ami "briefly, I lie 'position i- that prices in New Zealand cannot reach a reasonabjp level until such lime as reasonably bought goods actually arrive in New Zealand," The last sentence reveals, unwittingly, the (ruth. When prices were rising merchants did not wait until high-priced lots arrived before passing it on, but took the advance on goods in .stock. No one should lake exception lo this; but, sir, I lake grave exception lo any movement to keep prices up unfairly for any article above to-day's cost, expenses, and a reasonable profit. I was offered corrugated iron by cablegram from the United States Ja.-I. Friday at £JO delivered Dunedin, plus duty—say, £T.I 15s. .V line a rim ing in the near future can be sold at £ls. Is it not a crying shame that advantage is taken in this"way lo exploit the people, at a lime, 100, when rooting for houses, factories, etc., is urgently required lo provide decent living conditions and work for our returning heroes. Combinations in restraint of tradi am illegal, and it is very hard to -licet home "arrangements" of this nature. „ The other is a statement that the Commonwealth ships in two years paid their cost (£2,070,000'), and left a credit of £15,000. Tins line, .1 understand, charged less freight than its competitors, yet we have ships hung up in Australia because seamen and other workers ask a share of the spoils. It is high time our Government took notice'of such mailers. W’e may well ask. “W’hat are our members doing?” We are going the sure way to breed Bolshevists and Sparlaeusians. Tim average working man is satisfied with a fair wage, provided merchants and producers sell lo him Iho means of existence at a fair price, but one cannot wonder that lie kicks whilst being exploited.