1.—13 a

Bread. Statement handed into the Committee by Mr. B. Sutherland.

Statement of F. W. Johnston on behalf of Associated Motorists Petrol Co., Ltd. Commercial Trusts Amendment Bill, 1935. Submission 1. —" That ' motor-spirit' be excepted from the operation of section 2 of the Bill." I refer specifically to section 2 of the Bill, because if the Bill becomes law it is to be read with and deemed fart of the principal Act. It is desirable that the benefits of the principal Act itself should be preserved (as affecting motor-spirits) as is the case under section 14 of the Motor-spirits (Regulation of Prices) Act, 1933. The difficulties arising out of the attempted enforcement of the Commercial Trusts Act, 1910, particularly in regard to motor-spirits, were recognized, hence the special legislation enacted by the Motor-spirits (Regulation of Prices) Act, 1933. This Act, together with the Commercial Trusts Act, 1910, affords reasonable protection to any oil-distributor whose existence is threatened :■ — (a) By a competitor or combination of competitors price-cutting ; or (b) By such competitor or competitors refusing to supply a reseller except subject to a condition that such reseller will not vend the goods of the distributor against whom an attack is launched.

37

Profits Town or Locality. Cost Price. Selling. p er Auckland City and Suburbs (29) — s. d. s. d. Twenty-two shops .. .. •• •• 0 4 0 4J 12 -5 Avondale .. .. •• •• 04 04 Nil Onehunga .. .. . • • • '" 1 Mount Eden Heme Bay .. .. •. • • • • no j. g f; 00 k. Grey Lynn Devonport Takapuna .. .. • • • • ■ • J Waikato District (22) — Rotorua .. .. .. •• •• 0 11J I 1 13-0 Te Awamutu .. .. •• 0 9f 0 11 12 '8 Frankton . . ■. . • ■ • •• 0 5 0 5J 10-0 Hamilton (two shops) .. .. .. 0 5 0 5£ 10-0 Gisborne (two shops) .. .. •• •• 0 5 0 5\ 10 '0 Te Kuiti .. . • • • • ■ ■ • 0 5J, less 2J per cent. 0 6 11-6 Otorohanga .. . • • • • • • • 0 10 0 10 Nil Te Aroha .. .. .. • • Thames Waihi Huntly Whakatane Tauranga Whangarei .. .. .. • • • • [-Do not stock. Morrinsville Matamata Pukekohe .......... Paeroa Cambridge Dargaville .. ... .. . • • • Wellington District and Suburbs (37) — Thirty-three shops .. .. •• 0 4|, less 24 per cent. 0 5 14-1 Upper Hutt .. .. •• \ 0 5, less 74 per cent. 0 5 7-5 Trentham .. . . .. .. ■■ f ' 1 Palmerston North .. .. .. •• 0 4J, less per cent. 0 4J 8-5 Masterton .. .. .. .. 0 4| 05 11-1 Marlborough, Nelson, and Coast (8) — Blenheim .. • • ■ • • ■ 0 84, less 2J per cent. 0 9 8-5 Picton 0 4 0 5 11-1 Nelson (2) .. .. .. • • • • 0 4|, less 2-J per cent. 0 5 14-1 Motueka .. .. .. .. . 0 4| 05 11-1 Hokitika .. .. . . . ■ • • 0 4|, less 2-J per cent. 0 5 8-8 Greymouth .. .. .. .. •• 0 10, less 5 per cent. 0 10 5-0 Westport .. .. .. • • • • Does not stock. Christchurch Town and District (26) — Twenty-three city shops .. .. .. 0 4 0 4J 12-5 Ashburton .. .. . • ■ • • ■ 1 Rangiora .. •• •• •• ..[> 0 4 0 4J 12-5 Timaru . . • ■ • • • • • • J Dunedin Town and Country (14) — Ten city shops .. •• •• •• 0 3f, less 1J per cent. 0 4 8-1 Balclutha .. •• •• •• •• 0 4 0 4J 12-5 Oamaru (2) .. .. . • •• •• 0 9, less 10 per cent. 0 9 10-0 Waimate .. . • • • • • • • Does not stock. Invercargill and District (8) — Six town shops .. .. . ■ •• 0 8, less 2J per cent. 0 8J 9-2 Gore .. .. • • • ■ • • • ■ 0 5, less 10 per cent. 0 5 11-1 Mataura .. •• •• •• 0 10J, less 7J per cent. 0 10J 7-5