STABILISATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25101, 17 December 1942, Page 6

STABILISATION

ASPECTS OF NEW PLAN WAR-TIME PRICE INDEX (P.A.) , WELLINGTON, Dec. 16. “ The Prime Minister has truly described It as a great community enterprise,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce. Mr D. G. Sullivan, in a statement to-day on the economic stabilisation decisions. Mr Sullivan is charged with the general administration of the regulations. There will be a Director of Stabilisation, as chief executive officer, and an economic stabilisation commission as an advisory body, which may also exercise administrative functions. " Central in the whole plan," said Mr Sullivan, “ is the new wartime fir ice index. I hope that there will be a general understanding of what this is. Up to now the Government by various means has fixed the prices of about 50 commodities. The housewife pays the same price for these to-day as she did last month, and the price will not be higher next month. I do not need to tell any housewife the advantage of this. I know that many a housewife has said, ‘ I wish a lot of other things were fixed in price, then I would know how far my money would go.’ “ Now,” said Mr Sullivan, " a lot of other things are to be fixed in price. Here Is the full list, the items in the first paragraph being' those already fixed, and the remainder being new:— The Old List “ Bread, flour, oatmeal, rolled oats, tea, coffee, sugar, honey, salt, baking powder, milk (fresh and condensed), bacon (shoulder and middle cut), butter, cheese, eggs, meat, coal, coke, gas, electric cur- | rent, men’s underwear (N.Z. wool), men’s socks (N.Z. wool), men’s boots (N.Z. leather), men’s shoes (N.Z. leather), men’s - shoe repairs, women’s shoes (N.Z. leather), women’s shoe repairs, women’s underwear (N.Z. wool), girls' underwear (N.Z. wool), girls’ shoes (N.Z. leather), girls’ sandals (N.Z. leather), girls’ shoe repairs, boys' jerseys (N.Z. wool), boys’ underwear (N.Z. wool), boys’ hose (N.Z. wool), boys’ boots (N.Z. leather), boys’ shoes (N.Z. leather), boys’ shoe, repairs, infants’ jerseys (N.Z. wool), infants’ socks (N.Z. wool), infants' shoes (N.Z. leather), infants’ shoe repairs, # infants’ underwear (N.Z. wool), blankets (N.Z. wool), woollen piece goods (N.Z. wool), knitting wool 6N.Z. wool), suiting (N.Z- wool), tram fares. Additional Items "Potatoes, onions, jam, golden syrup, treacle, matches, rice, raisins, peaches (canned), prunes (dried), fish, carrots, parsnips, cabbages, swedes, lemons, apples; men’s wear, including suit (N.Z. material), overcoat (N.Z. material), pullover (N.Z. wool), sports coat (N.Z. material). sports trousers (N.Z. material), working overalls, shirt (cotton), shirt (working), singlet (locknit), underpants (interlock), pyjamas (flannelette), hat, raincoat: women’s wear, including skirt, tweed (N.Z. wool), stockings (lisle, silk and art. silk), pullover (N:Z. wool), overcoat (N.Z. tweed), ready-made wool frocks (N.Z. wool), vests (locknit), pantees (interlock), underslip (locknit). nightdress) (interlock), pyjamas (winceyette), gloves (nappa), smock, dirndl, hats (felt), readymade frocks (art. silk), ready-made frocks (cotton), corselettes, raincoat, woollen blouse material (imported), cotton blouse and frock material, art. silk blouse and frock material; girls’ wear, including gym. frock (N.Z. material), stockings, cashmere (N.Z. wool), sockettes (lisle), cardigan (N.Z. wool), overcoaat (N.Z. tweed), school hat, vest (interlock), bloomers (interlock), nightdress (locknit). pyjamas (wlnceyette), frock (cotton), raincoat: boys’ wear, including suit (N.Z. material), shorts (N.Z. material), overcoat (N.Z. material), school caps, flannel shirts (N.Z. flannel), singlet (interlock), underpants (interlock), shirt (cotton), pyjamas (flannelette); infants’ wear, including pants (N.Z. wool), overcoat (N.Z. tweed), slippers, shirt (cotton), singlet (wool and cotton), pyjamas winceyette); sheetings, sheets (double and jingle), pillow slips, towels, tea towels, table cloths; plates, cups and saucers, mixing bowls: bedstead, dressing chest, wardrobe, mattress (wire or wood), mattress (wool), pillows; dining table, dining chairs, sideboard, kitchen table, occasional table, kitchen stool; soap (laundry), starch, cleaner (Old Dutch), boot polish, clothes pegs, blue; stew pan, preserving pan, colander, pudding basin, > pie dish, jug, mug, basin, kettle, teapot, tin kettle, tin dipper, round cake tin, sandwich tin, dessert knives, table knives, teaspoons, dessert spoons, table forks, dessert forks, tablespoon, spade, . axe, rake, hde; corn broom, mop, broom (hair and fibre), brush (scrub), banister brush; washboard (wood), electric lamp, bucket (galv.), frypan, bakepan, fire shovel, mincer: papers, school stationery; toothpaste, soap (toilet and shaving); haircuts, razor blades: postage, telegrams: tobacco.

Co-operation of Public "All these commodities and services,” ■aid the Minister, "comprise the Wartime Price Index. Their prices, taken as a whole, are to be kept stable. This does not mean that no item in the list will ever vary in price, but if there is a rise in one it will be offset by a fall in another. The effect will be that money spent over the whole range of these commodities, dll of them - essentials, will buy approximately the same quantities from week to week, and from month to month. That is the intention, and the Government will do its utmost to carry it out. It cannot do so without the co-operation of the people, all the people, and, as the success of the plan is obviously to every r body’s the Government is fairly, entitled to ask for the co-operation of everybody. “ How can that co-operation be given? First of all. It can be given by accepting cheerfully and observing in spirit as well as in the letter the other part of the plan, which is the stabilisation of incomes. That is indispensable. We cannot possibly have one kind of stabilisation without the other, for most of these commodities are New Zealand produced, and the cost of labour and materials determines their price. If the costs pf producing or manufacturing them increase, then prices cannot post sibly. be stabilised.

“ Secondly, the people can co-operate by avoiding, as they would the plague', the black market. The black market is a phrase, and many people don’t know its meaning. Some of them have dealt in it without knowing it. They have met someone who has offered them a quantity of some commodity at a high price. They have thought they shouldn’t miss the opportunity, so they • have paid over the money and gone home with the goods. If the goods they bought were goods with a fixed price, then- they have been dealing in the black market. Penalties for Black Marketing " 1 say to all the people." said the Minister, “ that they can blot out the black market. It needs buyers as well as sellers, and if there are no buyers there will be no sellers. The Government has made the penalties for black marketing, as for profiteering, very severe, but an even greater deterrent than fines and imprisonment and confiscation will be a universal public opinion that dealing in the black market is shabby, greedy, anefc unpatriotic. It is unpatriotic because the continued success of our war effort depends on economic stability, and this plan now launched is designed to ensure that stability. I would particularly appeal to people with a large spending margin to realise their responsibility. I repeat: If there are no buyers there will be no black market.” In reference to other aspects of the plan, Mr Sullivan emphasised that income stabilisation extended far beyond wages. It had been agreed that prices paid to farmers would not be increased. The incomes of other sections of the community were closely controlled through taxation. The extension of rent stabilisation from housing to other forms of property was necessary because rents entered into costs. The stabilisation of transport rates Was justified for the same reason. “A country’s war effort is many-sided,” said Mr Sullivan in conclusion. “ The military side of it is of primary importance, but it is a fallacy to think that the unspectacular business of living here in New Zealand—the manner in which we live, the resources we use, necessarily or unnecessarily—is unimportant. It is of very great importance. We cannot look for ’ stabilisation ’ on the military side, but on the home front it can be achieved. It is to everybody’s advantage that it should be achieved, and the Government believes that with the goodwill and cooperation of the people it can be achieved."