BRITISH COUNCIL TO REGULATE PRICES.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 1 April 1931, Page 1

BRITISH COUNCIL TO REGULATE PRICES.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric T elegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, March 30. The second reading of the Consumer# Council Bill, which will establish a statutory body of seven members with compulsory powers of inquiry, in order to enable the Board of Trade, in certain cases to regulate prices, was moved in the House of Commons to-day by Mr William Graham, President of the Board of Trade. Board of Trade. Mr Graham said that food, clothing, and fuel, which were included within the list of commodities to be dealt with, involved half the annual income of the British people, which was roughly. £4.000.000,000 Sir Philip Cunliffe Lister asked whether the Bill would do anything about price-fixing by foreign rings and whether it would apply to trade union restrictions which added to the cost of goods. The Bill was the apotheosis of bureaucracy. Sir Herbert Samuel supported the Bill, but said it might be desirable to make it clear that it was not intended to apply it to individual complaints, or involve exceptional examination of any particular undertaking. The Bill was read a second time.