PROFITEERING

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVII, Issue 68, 22 February 1939, Page 3

PROFITEERING

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. AUCKLAND, Last night. The Government’s attitude in rent to profiteering was made clear the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Minister Industries and Commerce, in the lowing statement this morning:— ‘The question of keeping prices ble in the present situation is one tis receivin' attention. I have n making -If acquainted with ps taken in other parts of the rid to pr unt profiteering and er unream ' ] price increases. * of this : " : 'o"inatinn the Governnt has prep d its own plan in pect to the Vn- that will be en should the necessity arise.

‘Up to the present we have had c ■asional reports in respect of unrea- i table in, re j, hut so far there c vo not bren mm. We do not s sire to go ’' . ■ than the neees- s ies of thi idlon may make im- ] rative. S’. however, there he . inifestcd a disposition to exploit t c public, th.n ichinery to deal t th the position vMeh has already cn prepared • ,-"i 1 e put into inline- ; he opera l ' . No r.w legislation \ required. A:md power exists and . c Qowmu>o-t 'io anything it 1 ink® nec - Order-in-Council. number ■ •' ■ ~ ... some of them thin the Key '■ have had to take ore drasti' tc-, ■ to prevent the ploitatior, - tm public than New (aland has tm ev. and those eounies arc no‘ edr ’ tistered by Labor avernment--. “Some people tin have voiced iticism through the newspapers em to he ur ■ . (iic impression that is not permissible to increase (ices at all. Consequently the fact iat there have en some increases idicates to them n breakdown of the overnmerd \ plans. They do not falise the real situation. ‘The legislation that we have sen working under up to the present me. the Profiteering Act of 1936, 1 directed against ‘unreasonable’ inreases. the term unreasonable being efined by Statute. If an attempt ’ made to exploit the community, ‘ »ay he necessary for the Govern■ent to take (he same steps as those aken hv some other countries, and 'ofore any person can increase a ’dee, compel him to justify such n increase before a tribunal. I do lot desire to take that step, but it i’ll be taken if the position war'ants it. ‘I feel sure that the majority of Wsiness people will play the game, fhe only danger is a few who. by an lareasonable and selfish attitude, may reate difficulties for the great mass d fair-minded business people,” Mr ■SlUvan concluded,