THE PRICE TRIBUNALS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 152, 23 March 1921, Page 4

THE PRICE TRIBUNALS

DOING USEFUL WORK, SAYS THE MINISTER FINES PAY THE COST The granting of greater powers to the prices > investigation tribunals was suggested to the President of the Board of Trade yesterday in a question which Mr. R. M'Calluin (Wairau) asked him in the House of Representatives. If this was not practicable, said the member, the functions of the boards should bo transferred to inspectors of factories in the various centres.

The Hon. E. P. Lee said that it wns not possible to please everylxidy. The first complaint, made against the Board of Trade was that it was doing nothing. Then, these tribunals were set up in th® four cenires to investigate allegations of profiteering, and report to the Board of Trade. They were not useless. They had investigated hundreds of eases brought before them, and to a great .extent had kept down profiteering. Without them it would be impossible to obtain information of what was going on in the Dominion. They were not extravagantly administered, as had been inferred in the question. The fines that were exacted covered the expenses of their administration. He did not think that an officer of the Labour Department could do their work. Prices were falling at the present time, and if it was found that the services of the tribunals were no- longer required they would lie asked to disband, and very probably the board would adopt some other system in their place. They cost very little for the services of the members were honorary, and their travelling, expenses did not amount to much. They acted as policemen behind the traders. It had been suggested that they should have the power to institute prosecutions, but that would not be fair to them. They reported to the Board of Trade, which said whether there should be a prosecution or not. They had done good work, but whether they would continue to. he retrained on account of the fall in prices he could not say.