CEMENT PRICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 October 1921, Page 5

CEMENT PRICES.

I COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. ORDER OF REFERENCE. DATE NOT YET FIXED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A warrant appointing a commission under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908, promised by the Government to inquire into and report upon the allegations made recently in the House by Mr. R. Masters (member for Stratford), relating to the production, distribution, importation and price of cement during certain periods of control by the Board of Trade, was signed this morning by the GovernorGeneral. The commissioner is to be Mr. Justice Sim. The scope of the commission, which was made available this afternoon by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, is as follows: (1) Whether the Board of Trade, in December, 1920, in sanctioning the maximum retail price of cement of New Zealand manufacture of £9 13s 6d per ton, ex store Wellington, was guilty of any impropriety or of grievous error of judgment. (2) Whether the companies manufacturing cement in New Zealand during the period of the acute shortage of cement from January 1, 1920, and thereafter, took advantage of the excess c.f the demand over the supply to extort unreasonably high prices from the public. (3) Whether the agreement dated May 5, 1921, set out in the schedule hereto constituted an offence against the Commercial Trusts Act, 1910, or any other Act, or was in any way criminal or illegal. (4) Whether the price for cement of New Zealand manufacture was directly or indirectly determined, controlled or influenced by the parties to the agreement, in such, a manner as to make the price unreasonably high. (5) Whether the said agreement has in any manner operated detrimentally to the public interest. (6) Whether the Board of Trade, being aware of such agreement, was lacking in any duty in taking no action with respect to such agreement. The date upon which the commission is to sit will be decided by Mr. Justice Sim, QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE. SCOPE OF INQUIRY CRITICISED. ADMISSION OF COUNSEL. Wellington, Last Night. The cement inquiry was referred to in the House this afternoon. The Hon. E. P. Lee, in reply to Mr. T. M Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) . stated that the order of reference in connection with the cement inquiry was now in the hands of Justice Sim, and it was for him to fix the date of the inquiry. Mr. Wilford said there Were several directions in which he thought the order of reference should be amended. In the first place the period over which tne inquiry was to extend, started January 1. 1920, when it should have been 1918, for that was the period covered by Mr. Master’s comments, and on which he based his allegations. The order of reference also spoke of the retail price ex store at Wellington, while Mr. Masters had spoken of the wholesale price at the works. Another clause in the order of refence asked the judge to say whether the agreement made between the cement companies constituted an offence against the Commercial Trusts Act, 1920, or any other Act, or was in any way criminal or illegal. He suggested the last part of this should be altered to read, “criminal, illegal, immoral, or in restraint ofi* trade.” He further suggested that the judge should be asked to inquire into the Government’s knowledge of the agreement entered into between the cement companies; the order of reference only mentioned the Board of Trade. Mr. Lee: “That is the same thing.” Mr. Wilford contended it was not the same thing, and the inquiry should go into the question of whether or not the Government had knowledge of the agreement. He also asked that counsel be allowed to appear at the inquiry. Mr. Lee: “That is for the judge to say.” Mr. Wilford: “I know it is, but the Government can assist.” Mr. Lee: “I do not object; we will ask that counsel be allowed to appear.” Mr. Wilford said Mr. Masters wished to get counsel from a distance, and he wanted to know if the Government would pay his costs. Mr. Lee: “That is another story.”