WAR ON PROFITEERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16200, 25 November 1926, Page 9

WAR ON PROFITEERS

FRENCH! MINISTER'S PLANS. PARIS, Oct. A For several weeks now the Government, through the i labors of .commissions, has been endeavoring to bring down the cost of living and to stabilise prices; but it. could not. take action deiiniloly in this sense until the commissions, composed of representatives of tho food trades,Tiad submitted' their, yeportc. These reports arc now in tho hands of M. Bokhnowski, tho Minister of Uomnieree. who lias just, made if known that lie will seek to establish ■ a policy of prices. If is an interesting experiment that ho is about to attempt, with (he co-operation of consumers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, tand wholesale and retail dealers. An important feature of the reports

is that tho food-sellers’ organisations am in agreement on the necessity ot repressing certain practices of what is called “economic Malthusianism” —i.e.J the holding hack of supplies of food, lest a glut should bo ereatod, and thue cause prices to fall. There is also an agree-j ment that parasitic profiteers should be eliminated, and that an appeal for a bigger output should bo made to the sources of production in France and her colonies. When concrete measures have boeri taken in the matter of increased production and distribution, the Alinister of Commerce believes that all Die artificial causes of increased prices will have been eliminated, and that, tho way will have been prepared for stabilisation.