NEW REGULATIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1942, Page 3

NEW REGULATIONS

GOVERNING REMUNERATION & PRICES LEADING DETAILS HEAVY PENALTIES PROVIDED. FOR PROFITEERING OR BLACK MARKETING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A special “Gazette” issued last, night contains emergency regulations dealing with economic stabilisation. The Minister of Industries and .Commerce is charged with the general administration of the regulations. An Economic Stabilisation Commission is appointed by the Minister to have the powers of a commission of inquiry. A Director of Stabilisation is appointed as the chief executive officer. CONTROL OF RENTS. The regulations prohibit the charging of any rent in excess of the rent payable on September I, 1942, unless a fair rent has been fixed, in which case it is an offence to charge more than the fair rent. If a property was not let on September 1, 1942, then the basic rent will be the rent last payable before that date, and in the case of a property first let after September 1, 1942, the basic rent is the rent first payable. Any amount in excess of the basic rent or fair rent that has been paid may be recovered within a period of six months or may within the same period be deducted from rent accruing. Immediately after the commencement of these regulations -every landlord of any type of property, whether a dwelling or a business or farming lease, must keep a register giving a description of the premises, the name of the tenant, the dates when the tenancy commences and terminates, the rent payable and any alterations made to it, the basic rent of the property, and any fair rent that may have been fixed. The register is to be produced for the inspection of any authorised person or a tenant upon demand. WAGES & OTHER INCOME. The section of the regulations dealing with rates of remuneration states that remuneration for the purposes of the regulations includes time and piece wages and overtime, and bonus and other special payments, and also includes allowances, fees or commissions and every other emolument whether paid in money or not, travelling expenses and directors’ fees. The basic rate of remuneration is the rate actually being paid-for any particular position or employment at the date of the regulations. If the position happens to be vacant on that date the basic -rate is the rate last paid, and where the position or employment is new the basic rate is the rate payable for a similar position or employment, either in the employer’s own firm or in another firm. It will be an offence for any employer to pay or for any employee to accept a higher rate of remunerationthan the basic rate after the com- , mencement of the regulations. Excep- , tions to this rule will be: (a) Where

a higher rate may be prescribed by an award, an apprenticeship order or industrial agreement, made in conformity with the regulations, subject, to any general order for an increase or reduction in wages; (b) any higher rate fixed by a contract or classification scheme made before t-h.e date of the regulations; (c) any higher rate approved by’a conciliation commissioner. PRICE INDEX & WAGES. The Minister will cause a new wartime prices index to be established in order to record from December 15, 1942, any increases or reductions, in the prices of the range of commodities and services included in the index. The Government Statistician will publish at the end of every quarter a statement showing any movement in the index. If an increase of not less than 2? per cent is shown in the index the Arbitration Court will make a general order and thereafter a general order will be made as soon as there is an increase or reduction of 5 per cent in. the index. FINES & IMPRISONMENT. Profiteering or selling goods at a price which is unreasonably high is defined as selling at,a price which is calculated to produce more than a reasonable rate of commercial profit. The replacement cost of goods is not to be taken into account in assessing the rate of profit made. The penalty for both buyer and seller for the offence of profiteering is a minimum of £5O and a maximum of £lOOO, or imprisonment for six months for an individual, and a minimum of £250 and a maximum of £5OOO for a company. Black marketing is defined as a sale of any goods, for the purposes of resale, to any person other than a retailer for the purposes of resale or a manufacturer for the purposes of his business unless the price conforms- to the price order or general or special approval of the Price Tribunal. The penalty in this case for both buyer and seller is a minimum of £5O and a maximum of £lOOO or Imprisonment for six months for an individual and a penalty of a minimum of £250 and a maximum of £5OOO for a company. The Court may also order the forfeiture of the goods involved. On the conviction of any person for the offence of selling any goods at a price exceeding the authorised price the Court may order the defendant to nay the excess into the War Expenses Account.