New Price Control Bill

Before Legislative Council in July

SUVA, June 26. rnHE Price Control Bill which has been J. drafted, and will come before the Fiji Legislative Council in July, will take the place of the Price Control Regu lations now in existence, and the amend ed regulations which were withdrawn last February after public protest.

If the new Bill is passed the Governor will appoint a Price Controller who is empowered in his discretion to fix maxi mum prices either by prescribing a speci fied sum as the maximum nrice, or by prescribing the manner in* which the maximum price is to be ascertained.

The Controller will be assisted by a committee.

The Bill as at present drawn applies to goods and to services, but does not apply to services of a professional nature. Re fusal to sell at the maximum price is an offence unless the person refusing to sell has reasonable cause for refusing; reason able cause is defined. Power to requisi tion goods is given to the Controller by provisions which follow closely the exist ing Regulations.

The Controller is given wider powers to obtain the necessary information to en able him to carry out his duties.

At present he may obtain information only by demanding a return to be made to him, supported, if required, by a statu tory declaration. The Bill enables him to obtain informati9n in a less formal man ner if he so wishes, and the provision relating to statutory declarations has been omitted. Traders when called upon, must furmsh the Controller with copies of cer tain documents.

Every trader is required to keep, if he can, such books and accounts as are normally kept by traders, and not to de stroy them without the Controller’s con sent.

Mr. A. F. Gow, who recently received his discharge from the Australian Army, returned to Port Moresby by Qantas Air ways on June 26. He will be attached to the Administration, with headquarters in Port Moresby for the present.

Mr. Max E. Babbage, well-known planter of Buka Passage, recently an nounced his engagement to Miss Marian Fleming, of Aberdeen, New South Wales.

The marriage will probably take place before Mr. Babbage returns to his planta tion shortly.

M. Roger Gervolino, who represents New Caledonia at the French National Assembly, and who went overseas in 1941 with the Pacific Battalion, arrived in Noumea by air on May 23, via the USA.

He told Caledonians that he believes their Colony may get two representatives in the French Chamber, instead of one.

Elected with the support of the Cale donian Party, he is working for a greater measure of self-government. He says he voted against the constitution, regarding it as a menace to the future of demo cracy.

Flight-Lieut. Paul Harricks and Flying- Officer Victor Jackson, both of whpm were members of the Fiji RAF Contin gent, arrived back in the Colony in June for demobilisation.

Mr. C. S. Israel, who has been branch manager of Morris Hedstrom, Ltd., Lau toka, Fiji, for manv years was farewelled on June 11, prior to his transfer to Aus tralia. The function took the form of a dinner given by the local Chamber of Commerce, of which Mr. Israel has been an active member for 15 years, and presi dent until the current year.