WAR ON PROFITEERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1920, Page 5

WAR ON PROFITEERS.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE ACT. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER., By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Prime Minister authorises the fol* lowing statement regarding the operation of the anti-profiteering clause* «£ the Board of Trade Act, passed last session:—

Since the passing of that Act tie method of organisation for the enforce* ment of the powers conferred by Statute to deal with cases of profiteering hava been very fully considered from all points of view. Section 32 provides that , every person commits an offence whtfc either as a principal or agent, sells or supplies, or offers for sale or supply, any foods at a price which is unreaaosaUr high, and that the price of any goods shall bo deemed to be unreasonably high if it produces, or is calculated to produce, more than a fair and reasonable rate of commercial profit to the person selling or supplying, or offering to* sell or sup* ply, those goods, or to his principal. The section also makes it an offence) to hoard or to refuse to sell goods, if tha hoarding or refusal tends to raise the, cost of other-similar goods to the public, Various methods for the enforcement of this section have been considered by tha Board of Trade, and; in particular, b» the establishment of tribunals similar iff those set up under the English Profit* eering Act. There are, however, objections to entrusting the preliminary investigation authorised by the New Zea« land Act, either to local committees of the local governing bodies. It inay b» found necessary at a later date to ap* point special officers in each provincial ' district to enable the Board of Trade ta fully perform duties entrusted to it by Parliament.

For the present, and in older to pro* vide for immediate requirements, «••* rangements have been made Ay wMch inspeetors and officials of tie LsJ*r Department will co-operate with the Board of Trade. Any member of the A public who has evidence that an offence i ' against the statutory prohibition of excess profits has been committed should communicate with the nearest official of the Department of Labor. That official will forward particulars of the complaint to the Board of Trade, under whose direction the matter will be fully investigated. If it be found that there i is proof of the commission of an offence, proceedings against the offender will be j taken under the direction of the Board of Trade, every prosecution being conducted by the Crown Solicitor of the district. It is the intention of the Government to rigidly enforce the provisions of the Act. The right of any individual, aggrieved himself, to take proceeding* is not interfered with. The right ia, howover, in all cases limited by the statutory requirement that no prosecution under the Act may be instituted without the previous consent of the Board of Trade.