CHECKING PROFITEERING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19848, 17 January 1920, Page 14

CHECKING PROFITEERING.

WHAT ENGLAND IS DOING — — /• DEFINITION OF PROFITEERING. | \* ' k LONDON, October 23.--Great Britain s stupendous effort to grapple with profiteering is just disclosed by the work of 8300 tribunals which bare prosecuted 73j0 offenders and secured 1320 convictions, with lines aggregating 3-5,000 dollars. Besides setting up those local tribunals to which complaints against dealers arc submitted, appeal tribunals' hare l>peu established in specified areas of England, Scotland and Wales. In addition central committees also have Ikiou formed to investigate supposed ti;nsts or monopolies which may bo manipulating wholesale prices. This has been done under the Profiteering Act. 1 Apart Imm the prosecution of com-' plaints, tho Hoard of Trade, which ns i charged with the administration of th« , anti-profiteenng law, is independently investigating prices, costs and profits* r ot a large number of articles in comi nion use. It has formed a costings committee, composed of distinguished - acejountaunt;:, which Is Assisting tli* • central committee in its task. A subcommittee on trusts has been empow- , erect to obtain whatever technical and expci t assistance may be required. ■ LAW BROAD IN SCOPE. In scope, the Act applied to “ nnT . ai tide or class „f articles which is otin I ot ii. kind m common use by the pubif, nr any “inatcnnl, machinery or accessories used in the production of sue iin lidos.’ The Act docs not apply to controlled” articles, such as butmn j;r Ue:i r' ho 7 r -, 80-ur, liquors—comodities for which maximum prices nero fixed by war-time legislation, i ? oar-cut (jeiinitinn of tb G tern£ piiMteenng ■ l l!lR been a. point which - has given local tribunals much difficulty ; in the prorec.it ion of their tasks. So A,Vn ", () , P / In ,'tmn laid down by Sir Auckland Geddcs, president of lha oard of Trade, has been accepted au a basis for prosecution. It follows; j ,1? niil l;"'g of an mi reasonably large pioiit, ad tiio circumstances ' bein'* , known, by the sale to one’s fellow . -itizcn.s ot an article which is one, or , on £,° j 1 kind in common use.” On the moot question of what cou- ' *l. " '""'Oiisf’iiablo profit,” C. ’ t’ /i 10 the ministry of Food, reccntlv de- ' f,. au '. ’ (,f Lie causes of profiteeri ig is the tact that the public seems, to June lost all sense of what ’is a i reasonable profit. A good principal fo.tribunals to work upon is not to ask themselves whether the profit is higher tnan someone else is charging, hit is the profit arrived at on any reasonable business principles, or is it merely dictated by avarice and greed?” ‘ CALLED HELP TO TRADE. „ tunly has characterised tin# lofitcenng Act as ‘‘an abnormal remedy lor an abnormal state of public eehim an Act 110fc intended to harass Butish trade, but to helo it restore jt to normal and healthy conditions.” Lntics cl the government’s anti- ; profiteering machinery noint to official figures just published in the Board of Jraoes ” Labour Gazette.” showing that, despite efforts to beat down livmg costs, the general level of rotaU prices on October 1 was about 120 per ' cent above pre-war figures, or an increase of o per cent, as compared with Lie level of September last, when tho local tribunals were just getliug under «ay But it is not contcndedj even, by these faultfinders, that the increase "onld not have been larger bad tho government made no efforts to brill" tiio profiteers to book. * Against inch objections mav bo set such testimonials as that of the Yarmouth Profiteering Committee, widen chums that a reduction in wholesale prices by as much as 3.‘j per cent has been noticeable in that locality, WOMEN ARE ON BOARDS'. -Membership of the local tribunals is hxed at from seven to tweutv-five, two 0 whom must be women.' All complaints are beard in public, except in special cares, y.hen, under authority 01 the Board of Trade, proccodines may bo in private. Books or documents produced at ju-ivate .bearings are to be / tie.itea ns confidential if the person pro- . cluemg them so desires. Labour is represented c: Iho local tribunals and oo the Central Committee. Local tribunals have been empowered to investigate nil claims breuMr., belore ihem ami. if the Heti.ntionTof excessive charges me established, to instii.ute proceedings against, the seller buoio a court of summary jurisdiction where, upon_ conviction, fines of not mnro than £2OO or imprisonment foterms not to exceed three months, or both, may be imposed. Questions before local tribunals aro decided by a majority of the members present and voting. Anv seller aggrieved by any finding of'a local tribnnal, other than a decision to take proceedings before a court of summary Jiumdictioii, may appeal to the Appeil 11 bn mi I lor the area in which the local tribunal is operating. The institution ot court proceedings is not tho onlv function of the local tribunals— thev may dismiss the complaint entirely declare the price which would yield a. reasonable profit on the article in question, or require the seller to repay'to the complainant anv amount paid bv him .ii excess of this stipulated price. ' COM'PLAINTS ARE VARIED. Local tribunals all over England have lisi., ol complaints ior investigation. The articles range fiom flannelettes at Is lid a yard to bootlaces at Is a' pairfrom enameled saucepans at (Is fid to spools of col lon at 7d; a AVcslminster committee has been rville;] oa to iimcMl■gate a charge of for a woman’s bat, another of 33s fid for n coat and ' skirt/and a charge of Id for a breakfast roll. A complaint was made before the W alton-on- [ bames committee of a: charge of 2s <d for a lamp shade, which, it was alleged, could be purchased a lew miles distant for Is -Id. At Rniigor a man complained that be had been charged 3,s Id for tea fo • himself and a friend. The committee ordered a refund of Sd