NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17347, 19 December 1919, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

ANTI-PROFITEERING IN BRITAIN. The measures to' be taken to give effect to the British Profiteering Act, -which became law on August 19, are described in the Board of Trade Journal. It is proposed to carry out the Act —(1) appointing a Central Committee, "to which powers will be delegated to obtain information regarding trusts, to investigate prices, and to investigate complaints relative to excessive profits on the wholesale sale of articles; (2) delegating to local . authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales, power to establish local committees, whose duty it will be to investigate complaints regarding retail prices. The Central Committee, which has been established, will be divided into three standing committees, one of which will investigate prices, another will receive and determine complaints, and the third will acquire information about trusts. Mr. C. A. McCurdy, K.C., M.P., has been appointed chairman of the Central Committee There will probably be from 100 to 15C members of the Central Committee, and no effort has been spared to make it s fully representative body. The loea: authorities have responded very well tc the invitation of the president to appoihi local committees. The great majority (over 900) have expressed their willingness to co-operate in the working of th« Act, and it is hoped that the few dissentients will eventually come to the same decision. Many committees have already been formed, and are commencing opera tions. Appeal tribunals to which a dis satisfied seller may appeal have 'been eel up by the board. Every administrative county in England and Wales and everj sheriffdom in Scotland will have it« appea tribunal. The Board of Trade is author ked to make regulations providing for th« constitutdonj powers and procedure oi local committees and appeal tribunals, anc these have been issued. A complaint must be lodged, in respect of a retai transaction, with the local committee within four days, and in respect of i wholesale transaction with the Complaint: Committee within seven days. The Act applies only to those articles to which i< is applied by the board. At present th« Act has been applied to articles of wear ing apparel, household utensils and re quisites, articles used for mending anc knitting, furniture and building materials and articles of food which are not con trolled. Negotiations are pending regard ing the application of the Act to Ireland. ELECTRICITY IN HOLLAND. As a result of fuel shortage during the war the use of electricity in Holland has received a very considerable stimulus. In .Amsterdam, for instance, it appears that, of 140,000 houses, no, fewer than 110,000 are now provided with electric light, whereas, before the war, only 30,000 were connected. As neither gas nor were available, the Corporation decided that every house should be provided with at least one electric lamp; the remaining houses are being connected at the rate of 500 a month. Electricity is largely used for domestic purposes other than lighting, a well as for industrial work. A new power station is now in operation on the north side of .the River Y, and is already being extended. Current is generated at a pressure of 10,000 volts by means of steam turbines and water-tube I boilers; some of the steam required is ; supplied by a refuse destructor. Similar developments are taking place throughout the whole of Holland, and in this develop , ment the State, the provincial governments, and the communal authorities are all assisting. Considerable progress has already been made towards the co-ordination of the various supply systems, and the supply stations have been or are being, interconnected to facilitate generation by large units in suitable situations. The installation of electric pumps to replace the numerous windmills used for land drainage is now becoming general, and will soon effect a notable change in the appearance of the Dutch landscape.