PRICE OF SUGAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20078, 26 October 1939, Page 4

PRICE OF SUGAR

INQUIRY BY TRIBUNAL FULL INFORMATION REPLY TO GROCERS MINISTER EXPLAINS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Referring to a meeting of master grocers held in Wellington on October 19, when it was stated by Mr. B. Sutherland and others that the Price Investigation Tribunal had supplied the Minister of Supply with wrong information on which he had acted recently in fixing the retail price of sugar at 4d per pound, the Minister, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said last night that reference to the report showed this statement to be without foundation.

The grocers claimed that, in making the report, the tribunal overlooked questions of wastage in weighing up small quantities from the 701 b. bag and also the fact that they supplied sugar to a customer in a paper bag.

Actually the report referred to both these points and sot out in detail the evidence of Mr. Sutherland himself and tables of figures supplied by him as well as the evidence of other grocers. A verbatim report of the evidence given by Mr. Sutherland and other witnesses was attached to the .report. /' Not Made Public The Minister pointed out a report which was dated as far back as August 21, 1939, that was addressed to him and had not been made public. The grocers had not seen it and it was clear, therefore, that, in making this statement with reference to the tribunal, they were acting upon conjecture or incomplete information.

Very full information was obtained by the tribunal during the course of its inquiry in respect of costs and prices in the four main centres and the Minister assured the public generally, and retail grocers in particular, that the report submitted by the tribunal showed evidence of the desire to be fair to all sections of the community concerned with the sale and purchase of sugar.

Mr. Sullivan ended by saying that he wished to make it clear that the decision reached in regard to the price of sugar had been largely based upon the actual figures and evidence supplied by Mr. Sutherland and other grocers concerned.