FIXATION OF PRICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20656, 30 August 1930, Page 14

FIXATION OF PRICES.

Sir, —According to your report of Wednesday the railway officers view with alarm the action of merchants and grocers in combining for the purpose of fixing the prices of foodstuffs, which action must inevitably recoil to the grave disadvantage of the consumer. 80 far, so good, but does not the fixation of any price have just the same effect? We are all buying and selling. One man sells his time, another his knowledge, another his skill, another the use of his money, another the use of his property, another the results of his study, another his goods. If, therefore, it is fair to fix the price of one commodity it is fair to fix the price of all. It is a surprising thing that so many people whose wages are fixed by Arbitration Court awards are the first- to deal from any cut-rate trader who may offer goods at cheaper prices. The same man. would howl bitterly against anybody who was prepared to undertake his job at what he calls "scab wages." It all comes to this, either free trade or protection, whether it be in big questions or small. If the workers can combine and fix the price of labour then the trader is justly entitled to do the same for his goods. Better still, do away with all fixation of prices and wages and let the old natural law of supply and demand apply. Civis.