COST OF LIVING.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1916, Page 3

COST OF LIVING.

THE BOARD OF TRADE. COURSE OF ITS INVESTIGATIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, April 17. The Board of Trade, established some tiniQ ago under the Cost of Living Act, is at present in Wellington, where it is pursuing the investigations that it began in Canterbury last month. The scope of the Hoard's work, as laid down in »the Act, is very wide, but at the present time the members are engaged in preparing an interim report relating to the prices of wheat, flour and bread. They first visited Canterbury, the principal wheat-producing area of the Dominion, and then proceeded to the West Coast, which is entirely a consuming area. The evidence of witnesses was heard at various points.

Some comment has been made on the fact that the proceedings of the Board, after the opening day, have been in camera. Members of the Board explained to a reporter that the decision reached in this respect had been based on the peculiar conditions of the investigation at present in band. The Board was not laying down any general rule, and it might take evidence in public on other occasions, but it felt that the success of its enquiries regarding the prices of wheat, flour and bread depended upon securing access to information of a confidential character, such as the trade witnesses would not be willing to give m public. The method of enquiry adopted had enabled the Boartf to secure a great deal of very valuable information.

While the members of the Board were on the West Coast they took the opportunity to collect some information regarding the coal industry. They were assured by expert witnesses that a further development of the industry, in the direction of increased outputs and more scientific handling, would result in cheaper coal to the consumers. This is a line of enquiry that the Board may pursue when occasion offers at a later date.

When passing through Nelson, the Board got into touch, with the fruitgrowers, 'wlio stated thetr earnest desire to get their trade placed on an improved footing. Representatives of the men engaged'in the trade asked the members xii the Board to pay a further visit to Nelson in the near future with the object of formulating a scheme wherHy the grower would be protected from anything in the nature of.exploitation, fhe growers recognised that it was in their interest to see that the consumers got fruit at reasonable prices, in order -hat local consumption might be stimulated and made regular. The Board of Trade has plenty of work before it. When its present investigation is concluded enquiries are to be made into complaints regarding alleged infringements of the Commercial Trusts Act. Then the Board has power to study the prices of meat, fish, petrol and other articles, m connection with ■which restraint of trade or unreasonable profits may be suspected. The members are likely to be very busy for many months to come.