Satisfactory Settlement

'Satisfactory Settlement' ON Friday (March 20) evening, the Vanaspati Manufacturers' Association released a press note which read : "Representatives of the vanaspati industry have arrived at a mutually satisfactory settlement with Government in regard to the pricing of vanaspati. As a result vanaspati factories have begun to buy oil, and production will be restored to normal levels during the next few weeks. The Association regrets the inconvenience caused to consumers by the reduction in supplies during the past two or three weeks." Surprisingly, soon after its release, the Association sent word that the press note should be treated as cancelled. What could have transpired within an hour of the release of the apparently innocuous press note is anybody's guess.