PRICE TRIBUNAL TAKES ACTION

Chronicle (Levin), 24 February 1947, Page 5

PRICE TRIBUNAL TAKES ACTION

^ WELLINGTON, Felp. 23. A large cro\vd scrambled and jostlep in a city auction room yesterday luorning to buy surplus t'ob.d stores from the YY anganetla. The biading was furiously iceen aud prices ran to fantastic ligures; — 0s was paid for a large tin of saimon and 7s for a tin of asparagus. Mome of the. lines had not been seen in Wellington stores for a long time and it was for these that the bidding ran the highest. A buying compiex' seemed to. have gripped the bidders, for in many cascs the price paki for goo,ds was in excess of that in shops apross the road. Meveral- " of tho lines for whipli hystericaJ aud unreasouable bids were received were subject to price orde.rs, and the ' fact that they were sold at auction did no.t a,lfect the amplication of the price regulafions. Mome of the goods we.re not even rarities on the New Zealand market, yet 7mc.li is the efl'ect of anction-room madife^s that people Vied despei^ately wit!l 9I1(J anotlier to rob tlicmselves of their surplus ioose cash. Mome of the most keenlv sought after goods, for which fantastic price.s weye paid, were appl.e conserve in 81b. tins at (5s 01, piut siz.e tins of grapefruit ■juice 8s, pint siz.e tins of pineapple juice 9s, lloz. tins of sy/eet co.rn 6s Od, small tins of lo.ganb.erry desseft 5s (jdsmall tins of raspberry clessert 0s 69, Goz. bottle of Worcester sauce fQs 6d and a 71b. tin of greeogage. des^crt gt 11s. Jt, is not possible to compare fhese prices with the current price in the shops as in most eases the goods are fn short supply, but a eorresponding tin of grapefruit juice would sf.11 for 2's, pineapple juice for 2s 2d, and loganberry dessert for 3s. Even goods that are obtainable in the shops were dearly bouglit. A •packet of macaroni was sold for ls 4d, eorresponding shop price ls, and a bottle of vinegar brought 2s, although across the street it' could be purchased for eonsiderably les.s. At one stage the bidding ran to 6s 6d each for bottles of fruit cordial. One of those present, evidently a grocer, called out to the crowd that he had the same stufP on the shelv*"for 3s 3d a kotlle. He caught some orders on the spot. The bidders wore only too keen to help the auetioneer d'ispose of the goods, and apparently auything that comes from the Wanganella can be only the best. In the case of three line?, tins of condonsed milk at 4s Od a tin, golden Syrnp at ls Od a" tin, and dessert fruit at. 8s Od a tin, the Price Tribunal intervened and the price was redueed to 8d, Sd, and 2s 4d respectively. The crowd comprised mainly houSewives, with a sprinkling' ot business dealers. This sale was a fgir e.xample of how easily a black market on a serious seale could develop in Wellington with apparently sq much idle raoney to be spent. Tribunal Steps In. Regarding the sale of certain tinned goods which wero subject to maxiraun) prices under P-rice Orders, the Price Tribunal intimates that immediately the notice of the Tribunal wa.s called to the matter oflSeers of the Trib.unal interviewed the auetioneer and instructed him that the goods in questioi: must not be sold at above the, maximiyr. price allowed by the partieular price order. Although bidding for the vari ous commodities had then ceased n« pavment had be.on made and the statements of account were being amendfd to coutply with the price order con cerned:.