CONSUMER CO-OPERATIVES

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1947, Page 8

CONSUMER CO-OPERATIVES

GROCERS EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AUCKLAND, .Tan. 30. Consumer cooperatives had as mu'-h right to be in business as individual or chain stores, as long as they did nol Teceive prefereiitial treatment from the Government, said Mr. R. M. Barker. seeretary of the New Zealand Master Groeers ' Federation, but everyone should have the right to sliop ydtere they wished, including people who did not vote for the cooperative in any piarticular State suburb. .Pointing out that groeers were probably more concerned about the position than most other retailers, Mr. Barker said that the monopoly granted to the Hutt Valley cooperative seemed like an unfair extension, at least in spirit, of the Industrial Efheicney Act. Until now, the Govern ment's .policy had been to grant alloca tions of scarce eommodities only to TCturned servicemen. One departure from this ruling had been in tlie ease of the Huntly consumers' cooperative, jwhere Mr. Noi'dmeyer, acting for the I Minister oi Supply during his alisenee, had made a greater allocation than to I returned men in that district. I "Thfe m.ain tliing that interests us,' said Mr. Barker, "is tlie size of tlie baeon, ham and tobaceo allocations to | cooperatives generally, and in par jtieular where they are in competition with otker stores. Groeers feel that the coopferativfes can obtain things that [ they cdnnot gfet, tliemselves, or can not ' get ih the sariie quantity. ' ' Tlie ahidual . . ...cqnf erpncy . ^.ol federationi."'v(%s" tcf life on 'February 11' by the Minister of j Supply (l4r. Sullivan) _ajid_ it was [ hoped to obtain a staternent of the l Government 's policy tlien. The federation wanted assuranees that co- ! operatives would not receive preferencfe ,in the matter of scarce goods, and an indication of future policy as to tlie socialisation of the grocery trade. Other questions that he would like to ask, addfed Mr. Barker, were whethfer thfese cooperatives rfeceived Government finance, and, if so, on what security. Also, how was voting for or against the cooperatives carried out? ;Was it before thfe allocation of a Stale hpuse in the aTea or afterwards? D •should be possible at, least to allow one ex-serviceman a cliance of starting up in the area. _ ...