A SILENT SERVICE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17944, 23 November 1932, Page 7

A SILENT SERVICE

KEEPING PRICES DOWN

DEPARTMENT’S ACTIVITY

CONTINUOUS IXVESTIMATIONS

(Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day

There i* no more discreet and silent service in New Zealand than the investigating staff maintained by the Department of Industries and Commerce. It is seldom heard of, and even when a ease was brought before the courts at Palmerston North recently as a result of its investigations little was heard of the work which was being carried on continuously by the Department. 'The head -of the department, the lion. R. -Masters, is in full sympathy wit It the desire of the 'Govern incut to reduce all costs, and has instructed his staff to make every endeavor to keep down the difference betwen wholesale and retail costs. The principal Act under which action is taken is the Commercial Trusts Act, and any movement to fix prices so us to produce excess profits is quickly investigated. If tin investigation proves that the price of a commodity should be lower, then the position is pointed out to the manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer, whichever is responsible, and he is invited to reduce the price. The department’s methods .are so sound that it is only once in the course of years that the assistance of courts has to be invoked in order to produce the desired effects. A WATCHING BRIEF One notable example has been the way in which bread prices in the principal towns have .been investigated. Where there has been severe competition and the price has been brought down by ordinary methods, there has been no need for action, but; where there has been anything in the nature of a “ring” 'to maintain a price higher than circumstances warrant, the department has been instrumental in reducing the 'price to such a level that will give not more than a fair return to all concerned.

At the present time the department is receiving many complaints, mainly on account of the fact that purchasers wish to see prices generally reduced. All these are promptly investigated, and in large numbers of cases satisfactory results have been obtained. Of course there are many complaints which are-not justified, but every one is closely investigated. If there is no occasion to take action the matter is quietly dropped. The Minister anil the department do not boast about their activities, but are content to maintain a watching brief in order to see that 'prices are kept at the lowest economic level.