CONTROL OF PRICES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 145, 20 June 1936, Page 10

CONTROL OF PRICES

GOVERNMENTS POLICY PREVENTING EXPLOITATION i MINISTER’S STATEMENT [ Per Press Association. ] CHRISTCHURCH, June 19« Finaiitv in connection with the Government’s policy of controlling prices is likely to be reached within the next ftnv days, according to a statement made by the Minister of 1 :<?u-tries and Commerce (Hon. D. G. today. The Minister said that tbeie was scarcely any question in v.vivh the Government was more interested at the moment than that of prices. “Uur aim and object,” he added, “is to increase the prosperity of the Domuiuii and to improve the standaid of living of the people, but if prices are al owed to shoot upwards the effect would be to cancel out all of the work are doing. The Government is deter to prevent that, even if it meins utilising to the full the powers which we possess under the Board of Trade Act. “I am now,” he continued. “beginning to see daylight through the problem and the possibilities of a policy that will at one and the same time protect the public from expiorjitioii, en sure to the people the advantages of the increased circulation •»! u.oucy and higher wages, prevent infix*.’-n. and do justice to the business sec’.ioa of the community. There are good prospects of finality being reached in the coming week. ” An extraordinary feature of the inquiries made by the Department of Industries made by the Department of Industries ami Commerce, said the Minister, has been the wide variation in the employers’ own estimates as to what their increased costa would be under the new order. However competent many of the manufacture! s might be on the manufacturing side, thev had not shown the same grasp of **conomic> : of their business, and he ha I had to put ; accountants of the depar’mint into) mills and factories to conduit an ex- i amination of the position. The ex- ' amination had often proved enlighten ■ ing to the owners of the factories and j mills in regard to their own businesses. ; “We are determined to prevent ex- , ploitation and to see that the people , get the benefits of our legislation. but ' we will be just in our dea'ings with ' businesses,” said the Minister. “It L I only fair that I should sav tnat up to | the present I have had ftir treatment on this question from the businesses with which 1 ha--p ?>rpn ng. ’