WHO WILL SELL WHAT— AND WHEN?

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1946, Page 2

WHO WILL SELL WHAT— AND WHEN?

-Press Association

- BUTCIIER, GROCER, FRUITERER — AND HOUSE WIFE!

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Dec. 2. Efforts by inleresled parties to Ueline - .-whai articles oue trade Bkouldi.dcal in witliout transgressing on tlie field of anothor type of business occupied the Arbitration Court until late today. Objections were raised in oue case to the provision of an agreement between master butchers and members of the Butc.hers' L'nion which would have thc effect of compelling grocers to observe butchers' liours if they stoeked small goods. In Ihe second matter before the Court the fruiterers and confcctioners opposed a clause of the grocers' award which would limit articles which they might stock or eompel them to observe grocers' lioure. in pressing for the application of grocers' liours to fruiterers and confectionerv sliops if they stoeked cocoa, jellies, sugar, jam (other than homemade) and certnni breakfast lines which could conie uuder the headmg of biscuits, Mr. .11. M. Barker, secretary of the New Zealand Grocers' Federation, said it was high time articles to be stoeked in a trade were delined. He looked to the Court to do it. ' Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, on behalf of the chain stores, agreed that the articles inentioned apart from jellies and certain breakfast food were grocers' lines. Appeari-ug in opposition to the grocers' proposals, Mr. J. Adams (Christchurch), secretary of the Canterbury Betail fruiterers' Association, said plenty of fruiterers 111 Canterbury had a licence for suga'r to make hoinemade jam as it was realised, this would enable them to use fruit which miglit otherwise l>e wasted. He claimed that cocoa was a confection and that tlie breakfast food liained was biscuit and therefore came under the heading of confectionery. Mr. Adams clainied that fruiterers had lost many of their legitimate lines through availal)le supplies being absorbed by grocers, aiul instanced nuts. No one, he said, would be more happy than the fruiterers to have the lines of each trade deiiued. Further evideueo is to be called tomorrow. A new note was introduced iuto the dispute as to whether grocers' sliops should be allowed to sell smallgoods witliout observing butchers' hours when a witness, A1 rs. Ldna Fisher, of Kilbirnie, gave alteruative evidence to that oll'ered last Thursday by members of the Housewives' Association. To Mr. Mountjoy, who represen ( ed the master butchers, witness said ske had been interim treasurer of- the Housewives' Association but she remained a member only a couple of months. "But it seenied a .couple of years!" With dozens of other women she resigned from the association because she recognised it was a polilical organisation. In grocers ' sliops, contended Mrs. Fisher, things were not always as clean as possible. Lhe did not consider exteuding 'butchers' hours would be any advautuge-as some- women would want to do their shopping at. 2 a.111. if the sliops were open. The liearing will be continued tomorrow.