BOARD OF TRADE

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1931, Page 3

BOARD OF TRADE

AUTOCRATIC POWERS. (Associated Chamber of Commerce..) Notwithstanding the promises of successive Governments eitlier to remove * the obnoxious Board of 'trade Act from J the Statute Book altogether, or to rei such of its clauses as constitute a peril to the community, no effective steps have been yet taken towards this end. The predecessor-ol this measure, “Ail Act to make provision for the regulation of trade and Commerce in time of war was justified, of course, by the conditions which prevailed between the middle of 1914 and until the close of 1918. The> Cost of Living Act placed upon the State Book by the National Cabinet in the second year of the , Great War was designed t<> protect the ' public from exploitation hv soulless speculators and greedy profiteers. This measure involved the appointment of a Board of Trade clothed with wide powers of investigation and supervision ' and with the obligation of making suggestions and recommendations to tire j 1 Government. On the whole this ar- ( 1 rangement served its purpose fairly f well. A year after the war, in 1919, * that is, the Board was placed upon a A a permanent basis with greatly extend- v ed functions, and it exercised these a functions until 1923, whan it was superseded by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, representing the Govern- P meat, with practically unbridled mi- *’ thorny. Under the amended Act, 11 which still remains on the Statue ■>'

Book, the Minister fortified by the compelling power of the “ GovernorGeneral in Cabinet, may make ■such provision as he nia t v deem necessary in the public interests for the following purposes:—

(a) For the prevention and suppression of methods of competition, trading, or business which are considered to bo unfair or prejudicial to the industries of New Zealand or to the public welfare. (b) For the prevention or suppression of monopolies and combinations in or in relation to any industry which is considered to he prejudicial to that or ally other industry in Now Zealand or to the public welfare. (e) For the establishment of fixed or maximum or minijnum prices or rates!

for any classes of goods or services, or

otherwise • for the regulation or con-

trol of such prices or rates. (d) For the prohibition, regulation, or control of differential treatment of

different persons .or classes of persons in respect of goods or services in eases where the existence of such differential prices, rates, or treatment is considered prejudicial to any industry in New Zealand or to the public welfare. (e) For the regulation, and control of industries in any other manner whatever which is deemed necessary for the maintenance and prosperity of Lho.se industries and the economic well are ». New Zealand.

Sufferers from the application of these edicts have no ready-means of redress. Any provision -made under, the regulations comes, into , force immediately it is Gazetted. If Parliament vis. in session at the time the provision

must he submitted to both Houses within fourteen days of its gazetting, and if a majority of each House disapproves of Lhe provision it must he forthwith rescinded. if Parliament is not in session at the time, the provision must he submitted to both Houses within fourteen days of the opening of the succeeding session, under similar conditions.. This means that ii Parliament is in session when any such provision is gazetted, fourteen days may elapse before the two Houses will have an opportunity to arrest its operation, and that if Parliament is not in session, eight months or even more, may lapse before the people’s representatives have a voice in the matter. No Government and no party need be specially blamed for the retention of the Board of Trade Act on the Statute Book long after any colourable excuse for its existence Ims disappeared. They all have offended in this respect. Mr Massey, Mi: Coates, and Sir Joseph Ward, during their terms of office, all in turn admitted that the Act was fraught, with grave perils to the State and its people. They all undertook to see that- amends were made; hut oiie circumstance and another prevented them giving effect to their good' intentions. Mr Forbes, who, no doubt, has excuses as genuine as -those!• lof Iris predecessors in office, will have another opportunity during the approaching session of Parliament to repair their omissions and his own. This is not a matter to be further postponed. It is of vital and immediate consequence to the whole community. New Zealand has dared to keep on its Statute Book twelve years the like of a perilous measure which the,Mother Country rid itself within two years of the conclusion of the Great War. Surely this is not to he tolerated longer.