BOARD OF TRADE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2748, 17 April 1916, Page 6

BOARD OF TRADE

j ITS WORK IN HAND.

The Board of Trade has returned to Wellington after a tour of the South Island. In the South the board 'has been investigating the relative prices of broad, flour, and wheat, with the object,of discovering whether the prices charged to ,ttio consumer for Hour and bread are in proper proportion to tho ruling prices for wheat. The board made these inquiries chiefly in Christchurch, and had no difficulty in getting from the. men interested in the milling and baking trades the information necessary. All evidence taken is confidential, as it has been decided that there will be loss difficulty about getting tho facts by this method than if all the evidenoe were made public. At Runanga, on the West Coast, theboard gave some attention to the working of the co-operative bakery. Evidence was also taken there as to the prices of flour and bread prevailing on the Coast. : ',

The first task of the Commission is to make an investigation of the prices of the main necessities in common use during the period from two years prior to the war until the present date. This inquiry has been interrupted by this special dutv concerning wheat and flour, but it has not been abandoned, and tho board has months of work ahead. , While the board was on the West Ccast advantage was taken of the opportunity to mako some inquiries concerning the production and sale of coal, and much valuable information was obtained. Tho Westport Chamber of Commerce made representations with intent to show that further dovclonment to the coal mining industry would result in the cheapening of coal for household purposes. The board also, at the invitation of the Harbour Board, inspected the facilities for tho handling of coal at the port.