asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the Government's decision, if any, on reducing the costs of clothes in which wool is the principal raw material, in view of the very substantial decrease in the cost of Australian wool for some time back and as the inflated cost of this wool was inter alia given as reason for increasing costs of clothes, knitting wool, etc., in 1950.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cost of Clothes.
The effect of a change in the price of raw wool is not reflected in the price of the manufactured article for some considerable time. No general reduction in prices is to be expected until such time as stocks of materials with the higher priced wool content have been absorbed.
Control will continue to be exercised over the prices of manufacturers and the margins of distributors of woollen goods.