PROFITEERING.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1919, Page 4

PROFITEERING.

PRIME MINISTER'S CONCERN. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, The following memorandum, under date August 25, has been addressed by the Prime Minister to the secretary of the Board of Trade:—Since I returned to New Zealand, little more than a fortnight ago, I have heard many complaints about profiteering, that ib said to be rampant in New Zealand. I have not, however, been able to get any really definite statement on the subpeet, but the fact remains that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction with the existing state of affairs. Members of the Board of Trade are probably in a better position to understand what is going on than any other three men in the Dominion. I must, therefore, request the Board to take advantage of the section of the Act of last year which provides that traders making an unreasonable profit, comparing the wc.r period with the postwar period, are liable to a fine up to £2OO, or, if a company, up to £IOOO I know there are many factors in operation which cannot be dealt with in this Dominion, and I believe the public overlook inflation of the currency, which haß been going on for years in every British country, and which was unavoidable under the circumstances that British citizens have had to deal with, but I am afraid there is no doubt that profiteering is going o.i, and I ask you to look seriously and earnestly into the suggestion I have made, and if tht> Board of Trade can find any reliable evidence to go upon I request members to have informations laid and bring some cases before the Court, so that we may ascertain exactly where we are anil whether additional legislation is required during the coming session.— (Signed) W. F. Massey, Prime Minister.