The Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1919. THE PROFITEERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12755, 26 September 1919, Page 6

The Star. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1919. THE PROFITEERS.

The information Ibid against a Wellington firm of charging an unreasonably high price for a certain line of goods has been dismissed. The Stipendiary Magistrate, ; in giving his decision to that effect, accepted in a measure the defendants’ plea that if a loss occurred on one line of goods they wore justified in making up the loss therefrom by increasing the, cost another line. At the same time the Magistrate expressed the opinion that the “ gross profit, was unreasonable and excessive,” and furthermore that, -as the defendants did -not have a monopoly of the particular article mentioned in the charge, if customers felt aggrieved at the price asked for it they were hot compelled to purchase, and were at liberty to visit other -establishments until they discovered one where the article was on sale and the price was satisfactory. The decision may be, and probably is, perfectly sound in law, and accepting it as such, it is another illustration of the fact that the law is a bass.” It simply means.that as the law exists there is no protection against the profiteer who can curb his avarice to the degree of keeping technically within the law. It is evident that the law and the people hold totally different views as to the exact meaning of the term profiteering, and the sooner the law is amended to coincide with the public’s view, and the loopholes are closed, the greater will be the public satisfaction.