PRICE OF FOOD

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2440, 20 April 1915, Page 5

PRICE OF FOOD

ALLEGED EXPLOITATION THE REAL CAUSES ACCUSATIONS BUT NO EVIDENCE The Foodstuffs Commission states that it'has not beau inactive with regard to the eliarges of exploitation .directed a-gainst traders, aiid, incidentally, -against the. Government for permitting this alleged exploitation. A statement of the position is given % the following extract froui a letter of Mr, Jus- . ti'ce Stringer, Chairman of the Foodstuffs Commission, to the Prime Minister. Mr. Massey had suggested to His Honour that tie charges so frequently made flight /be investigated by the Commission, ami to this letter His Honour repliod. It should be explained that the letter seems to imply that Judge Stringer thinks the Commission ought not to meet, but in a later communication the chairman advises Mr Massey that he wiir try to arrange for an early, sitting of the Commission! Following is the text of Mr. Justice Stringer's letter:—■ "I may say that the Commission appointed under the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act. have already, held several inquiries as to alleged exploitations in foodstuffs, with the result that 110 . evidence of any such exploitation has been brought forward, and the Commission therefore decided that it was unnecessary to hold any further inquiries into this subject until some definite Allegation of Exploitation in some particular foodstuff was made. The Commission since then have invited members of tho public to formulate any charges of_ exploitation within ( their knowledge .in order that inquiries might be made, but no such, charges have been brought under the notice of the Com- , mission. E-ecently having noticed' that, at a conference of the Timber Workers' Federation held at Christchurch. resolutions were_ passed' condemnatory of alleged exploitation of workers in connection with foodstuffs, I causcd a request to be made to the secretary to supply the Commission with the information they_ presumably had to justify such resolutions, but the,reply was that the_ conference had decided to place its decisions before. the Government during tho coming session of Parliament, and therefore that the writer (the secretary) could not on. his own responsibility the information asked for. "The fact is that the persons making the complaints apparently assume that exceptionally high prices and exploitation are convertible terms. -Tliis is well illustrated by an example which came before the Commission some time back when complaint was made that the public were being exploited in regard to meat. _ When it, was pointed out that the price of meat was regulated by the export price, and tho witness was asked did ho suggest that the export of meat from tho Dominion should •he prohibited, he replied. 'No.' But that the public of New Zealand should first have their requirements supplied at tho. normal prices, and that only the surplus should be exported. When asked in what way it was to bo de't'er- . mined as' to who should be compelled to supply the people of the Dominion at • the normal prices, and who should be allowed- to_ export, the witness had, to ■ admit (his suggestion was ' impracticable, nor could he suggest any other method by which/the public could in the existing circumstances obtain meat at less than, the export price plus a fair retaU profit. ' "The Commission have already reported that so: far as imported foodstuffs are concerned, their inquiries have satisfied them that no exploitation has taken place. _ "With regard to foodstuffs produced in the Dominion, the increased. prices for these articles, ruling locally, according to the evidence brought before the Commission, are in sympathy with, and are the direct and natural consequences of the increased prices being paid ,for export purposes. If this is so then, unless the. Government were to impose soma restriction upon tho export of ." es ®. articles, which "seems quite im« practicable, it seems difficult to see how the publio can escape payment of higher prices.' /