BOARD OF TRADE SITS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2734, 31 March 1916, Page 7

BOARD OF TRADE SITS

COST OF LIVING

WHEAT, FLOUR AND BREAD

■ By Telegraph—Press 1 CHrlstohurph, March 30. -•''--'■•' "A sitting of the Board of Trade as a ' Cost'ofiLiving'Commission was'opened ~ to-dav.. Mr. W. G. MaoDpnald pre- ■ sir" *ft' and the'other member' of the board present was Mr. J. R. Hart. ' Mr/ Hally was absent owing 'to pressure of conciliation business in Wellington. ' ' .!i '.- ' . ''. '-,'■-■ i-'i The' chairman said before opening the proceedings lie wished to make a state-' • 'ment'fo'r the Press. The hoard assem- , bled in Wellington on March 1, and in the meantime a, considerable amount of detail ""preliminary' work was done. 'In ' addition, :Cabinet, submitted to. the 'board various subjects! which-.required- ' investigation. The present sitting was for a special investigation, the scope of ■ the inquiry being' l to find out the prices of wheat, bran, pollard, flour, and ; .bread-, in-the two years previous to the • /■' war, the fluctuations of prices since the ■•:. war,, reasons for' the. .tvhat -. present ,prices were, and" whether price's '.•'-i were- fair and reasonable. The recommendations of the board would receive due consideration from Cabinet. The present conference was practically confined to the Spiith Island, more especi- ■ 'ally jChristohurch and -Timaru, as being '"' the recognised centres of the wheat•r ' growing' and , flour-milling industries. i; The board would approach all investigations entirely.-. without bias.' The members realised that .'the war had to a large extent upsot many old theories, and would' approach .inquiries with an 'open mind and arrive afconclusions en- • tirely on the evidence* submitted. The inquiry was of great importance ito ... everyone, and the .board hoped the pub- . ' lie would 'assist in every, possible way - in. tendering'evidence, and iii hearty cb- ' . operation. From the considerable cor- ' ! respondence already'received 'on the matter he thought the public would as- ' -sisfc as -far' as ,it could. . Tho>board would be pleased to meet witnesses and ;,- ' experts in the particular business under ; discussion. • ■'-..•/; ■ F 'The board expected the Press to ns,,'sist in making known tho scope of the '.; different inquiries.'■> Before the-.board' -left Wellington it went into the matter of admission of .t]ie Press' very care-' fully and decided that without making a hard and fast precedent, as a great • ' deal of evidence .would' be.of a' confidential nature,' the taking of evidence - would bo in camera. The speaker enH v phasised'the point that this procedure -w<uild _hqt necessarilv be followed' in • other. investigations, but each separate inquiry would be considered ■rn its , .-.merits',"-'and the Press might or might ■not be admitted, according as the circumstances dictated."• ,\ . --, "'. '