PRICES OF COMMODITIES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4532, 4 February 1942, Page 4

PRICES OF COMMODITIES

AN obvious requirement of price control over an increasing number of necessary commodities, has been met by the’ announcement that retailers in future” must display lists of fixed price goods for inspection by customers. Hitherto the only authoritative information available was provided by the New Zealand Government Gazette, which can hardly be described as a widely-circulating medium of official information. The great majority cf, fetajlgrs no doubt have played the game by their public, but there have been occasional complaints of charge' in excess of the fixed prices. The announcement concerning the display of listed prices, however, provides the retailer an alternative which in the circumstances seems quite unnecessary. Instead of displaying a list where everyone who chooses may see it, the retailer may keep a file on record of fixed prices which may be inspected on demand by a purchaser. T’ is places the customer in a somewhat invidious position, and for no apparent reason. Having decided that the public was entitled to readily accessible information on the subject, the Government department responsible for this new regulation might as well have given a simple and comprehensive direction that would have satisfied everybody.