PROFITEERING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2335, 29 September 1921, Page 3

PROFITEERING.

RAMPANT AS EVER

(jIThSTIOX AND ANSWER IN

PARLIAMENT,

“NOT SUFFICIENT CHECK.”

“Ample provision is still provided arid exercised by the Government for the checking of profiteering, and all complaints arc promptly investigated by competent officers. The Government; is not aware of the existence of profiteering in New Zealand, and if the honourable member will indicate any specific cases of profiteering that have come to his notice, prompt action will he taken.” Such was the reply given by the Hon. E. P. Lee (Minister for Industries and Commerce) to the question by Mr W. H. Field (Otaki), as to whether he was aware that profiteering is still rife in the Dominion; and whether the Government, now that the Prices Investigation Tribunals have been abolished, will provide some effective assistance to the Board of Trade with the object of checking profiteering, and so reducing the cost of living? Mr Field contended that profiteering was- just as rampant to-day as ever it was, and a sufficient check was not being provided by (lie Government. So far as lie knew, the only body at present dealing with the matter was the Board of Trade, which was already overworked coping with the larger questions. He was prepared to supply the Minister with a list of commodities in which there was undue profiteering. But everybody, he maintained, ought t<> have a chance to appeal against profiteering to some responsible authority. They talked about cutting down wages and salaries, but how could they do that unless they reduced the cost of living? It could be reduced,-but the nacessary machinery was not provided. Profiteering could be put down for a thousand a year, by appointing one competent man to deal with it.