Maximum Prices for Daily Necessaries Due Speculative Activities Curbed Shanghai, Feb, 23.
JUTTING an end to speculative business transactions in vital commodities in the French Concession, M. Marcel Baudez, French Consul-General, promulgated an Ordinance on February 19 whereby prices will be controlled by an appointed committee which will have sweeping powers, extending even to the inspection of books of individual firms and entitling it to take over the tribution of certain commodities if this is found to be necessary] and the confiscation of goods manipulated in contravention to the ordinance, and $1,000.
In an exclusive interview with the Nori-china Daily "News".
Ange, President. of the Provisional Administrative "Commission of the Branch Concession, and: concurrently Gonsul<Goneral for France, said that Certain manipulators. have "not re-rained from making we of the normal conditions actualy prevail ing here to enrich themselves at the expense of the population.
tive must not only be able to as: sure' the maintain ance of peace and order. in. the Concession," M. Auge Said, "but Uy 1s also our duly (ode fur utmost for the wellbeing of re-Sldents; and It swith this object low, thatthe Ordinance' was. pro:
ME. Auge then pointed out that notwithstanding the fact Unt the dapantse army was in occupation of dis-ities surrounding Shanghat and. that overseas markets are parvlly unable eater {0 the needy of this city because of the Buropean war, stocks in Shanghat today, by far exceed norfal oquiromeits, and are. nothing more than. the tools of manipulators who. are thus enabled to. fx. prices Out of alt proportion to actual cost ile net. wishing (o encroach on crinal trends of busines, the com imiltee which will probably be nor inated today, will Investigate prices trid market conditions in general and Avil foe Dries which will allow for 8 Tale margin of pratt.
Following isa, translation of the consular Ordinance:
Offenders are liable to fines from between $1
Feceipts for Customs duty and all other documents in support of their declarations. The committee will be empowered to inspect or to order the inspection of stocks.
Article Vit Members of the committee, its employees and all "other persons who will receive information or who have seen the documents mentioned in the previous article, are compelled to consider such Informa:
professional secrets under pain of prosecution.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.