WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 August 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

ALLEGED PROFITEERING BOARD OF TRADE TO INVESTIGATE (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, August 7 Rather late in the day, it will seem to most people, the Government has directed the Board of Trade to enquire into the profiteering that is alleged to be going on in Wellington Letters to the papers and the publication of statistics by the papers themselves have produced no results, but a deputation from the Farmers’ Union Conference that waited upon the Hon. D. H. Guthrie the Minister in Charge of Imperial Supplies, the other day extracted from that gentleman a promise that the matter would be referred to the Board of Trade and it is hoped something tangible may come from this long deferred enquiry, The Board 'already had made representations to tho Government on the subject, in. fact it had gone tho length of communicating with the representatives of the retailers, but without a definite commission it would not take the steps that are necessary towards a thorough

investigation. A PRIME FACIE CASE.

The deputation from the Farmers’ Union Conference concerned itself chiefly with the prices of woollen and leather goods. Last year, one of its spokesmen stated, the farmers got on the average 1/2 or. 1/3 a pound for their wool, but when they came into town to make their purchases of manufactured articles they found they were paying 9/6 to 25/- a pound, the enormous increase in price being attributed, mainly, to the advance in the value of the raw material. The sam®; with leather goods. Hides had not' risen in value by as much as 2d a, pound, but the price of boots had gone up from 10/ to 20/ a pair, the cost of the raw material again being the excuse for the rise. But in 'Wellington woollen goods and boots arc not the only goods that l have reached famine prices. Groceries, most of which pass through the port of Wellington, are from 10 to 20 per cent, dearer in the capital city than they are in any of the other largo centres. THE MILK PROBLEM. The. Minister of Health, who does not do things in halves, in surveying the milk problem that is so sorely ercrcising the housewives of Wellington just now has foreshadowed a very drastic measure for the maintenance of adequate supplies. “ Those who occupy the dairying land surrounding the city of Wellington, with its large and growing population,” he says, "must recognise their responsibility, and that the first claim on all the ■milk produced on these lands must be for the feeding of the people of the city.” The question is so important, especially as it affects the health of the children of the city, that private interests cannot be allowed to stand in the way of a pure and adequate milk- supply for the people. ” If his colleagues hold the same view as Mr. Russell does on this subject a somewhat startling scheme of commandeering may be among the developments of the near future, In the meantime private interests are sitting up and taking notice. THE SHORTAGE OF FUEL. The return of bitterly cold weather, which was broken for a day or two at the week end bj- the reappearance of the sun, has set the city complaining again of the shortage of fuel. The State Coal Depot, with largely increased delivery power, has been sending out sacks and half-sacks during the last fortnight, but many orders a month and more old are still unexecuted. The Coal Trade Committee is doing its best in extremely trying-cir-cumstances, but there are allegations and complaints of private firms holding large stocks and of individuals receiving favours that are denied to others. The Ministers of Supplies, however, is keeping <a vigilant eye upon the position and though there are grounds enough for loud and continuous- grumbling, there is none for throwing the blame upon the authorities, unless it is that they have failed to take charge of the whole business and turn the fuel resources of the country to better account.