PROFITEERING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2029, 16 September 1919, Page 2

PROFITEERING.

ADDITIONAL light on the ways of lbe profiteer in clothing was shed at the proceedings of liu> Arlutralion Court in Christchurch a few days ago. It will be remembered that some .exposures regarding the unjustifiable increase'in the price of white blankets were made, not long iigo, when the increase in labour cost was shown, to he small, the increase in the dye-used for border - ings infinitesimal, and the increase in medium cross-bred wool, from which these blankets are made, nil. The Christchurch' Shop Assistants’ Union, in applyingtor a new award, has now given the Arbitration Court some information regarding profiteering in other clothing lines. The Union's representative, Mr R. D. Marlin, speaking from personal knowledge, said ho knew of stuff which cost 7ld per yard being first sold at Is ltd per yard, and then the staff set to work to alter the price to 2s (id per yard. He was also aware of a ease in which a firm had a lino of gloves for sale at 3s 13d to 4s lid, and subsequently raised the price to 12s 6d per pair. Mr Martin mentioned another still more glaring case in which he had visited a certain shop in the morning and found material marked at fis (id a yard, and, on going along to the same place in the afternoon, found the same stuff marked at lbs (Id a yard. Small wonder that Mr Justice Stringer, who presided, remarked* that the Board of Trade should deal with such eases under the fair profits provisions of the Act!