CONCERNING EXPLOITATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 54, 28 November 1918, Page 4

CONCERNING EXPLOITATION

4 "TRADERS HAVE LOST MORAL SENSE." "It has been a very pitiable. thing in fconnection with this epidomic to find that exploitation lias been practised in things necessary to savo human life," remarked tlio Hon. J. T. Paul iu the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. "I think it is deplorable that any class of trader should resort to this kmd of thing. A member of this Legislature remarked to me yesterday that this 1 country is destined to bo the home of exploitation, and it looks uncommonly like it. Sometimes there has been an excuse for a rise in prices, but even when there has been no excuse tlio price of' commodities has increased enormously. Take the question of drugs. I myself purchased a mixture, tho proscription for which I gav<! to rbo chemist. The cost of the ingredients was something like Is., but I was t&argeu <ts. It seems to me that somo of our traders have lost their moral sense. They simply fay, 'The people want this thing, although it is true that they may die if they do not get it,i but we will get a 'jertain price ovon if some do die.' I believe we shall have. to have a law against exploitation of this sort, and if Wie culprit is found guilty the penalty will havo to be very severe, jl do not think that the majority of our decent traders will stand for this kind of exploitation, but' it is practised, and in my opinion ought to bo stopped."