COMPETITION IN TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22250, 26 October 1935, Page 15

COMPETITION IN TRADE

PRICE-CUTTING PROBLEM

NO ACTION THIS SESSION BILL NOT TO PROCEED [BY TKI.KGBAI'H —SI'MI.W, I!KT'OItTKU] WELLINGTON. Friday The Commercial Trusts Amendment Bill, designed to restrict price-cutting in certain classes of proprietary goods, which lias been the subject of so much concern in business circles, will not be proceeded with this session. The Industries and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives, reporting the bill back to the House to-day, indicated that it was unable to submit any conclusions on the matter, mainly because of the limited time available for consideration of the large volume of evidence. The chairman of the committee, the Hon. A. D. MeLood (Government — Wairarapa) recommended that the bill should not be allowed to proceed and that in view of its importance it should be subjected to further inquiry next session. The report ivas adopted. Amplifying the report of the committee, .Mr. McLeod said voluminous and important evidence had been taken. It was of such a nature that it would he extremely valuable to whatever Government might be in office next year The evidence showed there was a demand for the fixation of minimum prices for many articles. Parliament had to decide whether there were to be minimum prices fixed or whether industries were to be allowed latitude in lixing prices themselves. A large number of traders who had given yeomen service to this country during the past three or four years, particularly in the country districts, continued Mr. McLeod, had been forced into a state of virtual bankruptcy by reason of tho amount of credit they had been forced to give and by the chain stores which carried none of that load. The small trader had been knocked to pieces. Mi'. H. Atmore (Independent—Nelson) supported a proposal by Mr. McLeod that the evidence should be printed. The information given to the committee, he said, would be very helpful in the final report of the committee.

It was stated that Gi petitions had been presented asking that the bill be not proceeded with. The committee was of opinion that these should be referred to the Government for consideration.