A PETITION

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1933, Page 6

A PETITION

REPORT TO HOUSE. COMMERCIAL TRUSTS ACT. WELLINGTON, March 1. The Industries and Commerce . C°m- . mitte e reported on 75 petitions, asking for the removal of tobacco, cigars, and -. | cigarettes from the 'Schedule of the Commercial Trusts Act. The Committee stated in view of the fact that the Commercial Trusts Act was passed for the purpose of protect- ■ ing. {/lie public -as - well as . retadens .. -(against the fixation of prices by monopoly interests, it. wag. unanimously of '■■he opinion that the prayer of the petition should not':'l) e granted; 'The Com ! mittee, however, was of the opinion that ... -the Government ffehqnld make' represen--t ations to aid sections of th e trade, .with a-view of establishing more .equit- . able trading .conditions. . ~ Mr J. Ai: Lee. (’Lab?, .Grey -Lynn) de-

• scribed 'the. report -as a “Yes, no” one. Mr A. Harris (C., Waiteinatia) &aid that while-th e Committee felt* every,, sympathy fo, r , the small retailer, it. was. yfglt by the process of evolution that j the day of the small trader, even in 1 . th e case of the'-tobacco trade, was fast 'dii?appearingi>a>o’:eie i.«a yo nojiw.,

’ "Sr-W, J. Savage (Lab., Auckland -West) said the members of the. Committee had' been unanimous in the opin- • io.n that tobacco •.should not he removed from the schedule, because it- was felt that to allowbhonopoly interests to gOv■sein:.’prices and conditions .would -be no guarantee That i-Ctailers would obtain any benefit-.while consumers would ultimately suffer as a result of unduly -high 'prices, which retailers would be • powerless to ’ aVbid-. The game unanimity had not obtained when it. came to- supplying ’an alternative, although nil members 1 had Treen anxious to assist retailers who were obviously in a bad way through price cutting. He expressed the’ opinion that there appeared to ‘be only one alternative, namely, for the Government to lay down conditions of trad G that would allow a retailer to dive.

'Mr 'S. G. Smith <(C., New Plymouth) expressed the opinion that retailers would not be assisted if the. prayer of the petition‘ had been granted. He had every smympatKy with th. e 13ma.il trader, but could not ;see how he could have benefited. Th e report was tabled.