WORK TO BEGIN THIS WEEK

Southland Times, Issue 23823, 22 May 1939, Page 6

WORK TO BEGIN THIS WEEK

Price Investigation Tribunal REGULATIONS BEING DRAFTED PROCEDURE TO PREVENT PROFITEERING (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, May 21. The price investigation tribunal, the duty of which will be to control prices and prevent profiteering, will begin work in Wellington this week. The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) in making this announcement from Wellington to The Press, Christchurch, said regulations requiring notification of price increases to the tribunal were now being drafted. Mr Justice Hunter will act as chairman. The second member of the tribunal will be Mr H. L. Wise, M.Com., A.R.A.N.Z., advisory officer of the Department of Industries and Commerce.

Mr Sullivan said the tribunal, after being notified of intention to increase any price, would examine the reasons put forward and if the increase was not justified the matter would be taken up by the i tribunal with the party concerned. This procedure, Mr Sullivan said, would make for more effective price control. Under the Board of Trade Act, the tribunal will be given powers of judicial inquiry and will, if necessary, be able to call persons before it to give evidence in support of any increase in prices. The Government was adopting this procedure, Mr Sullivan said, by reason of the attitude of a few towards the present situation. The Government had been reluctantly compelled to adopt the procedure he had outlined. Mr Justice Hunter, an additional judge of the Court of Arbitration, will leave for Wellington on Monday night to take up his new duties. The other member whom the Government has appointed, Mr Wise, is an accountant by examination, a member of the New Zealand Society of Accountants and of the Incorporated Institute of Accountants of New Zealand, and a fellow of the Royal Economic Society. He has had considerable experience of price fixation and control in New Zealand under the Board of Trade Act 1919 and Prevention of Profiteering Act 1936, and has, in addition, made a special study of price regulation and control in other countries.'

Mr Wise has served on many governmental committees and is secretary of the Tobacco Board.

Arrangements are at present being made for the provision of suitable office accommodation for the tribunal in Wellington. In the meantime, the tribunal will be housed in the offices of the Department of Industries and Commerce in the new Government Life Insurance building.