PRICE BREACHES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25304, 14 August 1943, Page 4

PRICE BREACHES

ENFORCEMENT OF REGULATIONS PROCEDURE EXPLAINED (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON. Aug. 13. " There is a general demand throughout the country for enforcement of the price regulations,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce. Mr D. G. Sullivan, during consideration of the departmental estimates in the House of Representatives to-day. He was. replying to Opposition criticism of the actions of Price Tribunal inspectors and claims that they unduly harassed small traders, particularly those in the country districts. The Minister said that either the regulations had to be enforced or not enforced. Members'could not have it both ways. The whole country was pricecoriscious. It would be unwise to disregard breaches of the regulations because connivance in price increases would lead to prices getting out of control. If this were allowed to happen the country might find itself in an inflationary difficulty. The Minister said that there was a time when delay had occurred before goods could be placed in circulation. For that reason arrangements had now been made through national organisations for distribution on a percentage basis, instead of the former method of advising individual vendors. Efforts had been made to overcome any factors that would make for delay in getting goods into circulation. He thought the present system was working in the best interests of the vendors.

The public would be most intolerant if they thought that goods. were being sold at enhanced prices and there was no prosecution, the Minister added. The public was naturally resentful of any suggestion of discrimination in the question of prosecutions. The Price Tribunal submitted cases to the Crown Law Office, which advised whether prosecutions were justified, and its recommendations were followed. He did not think members should ask him to interfere with that procedure.