"NO FALL IN PRICES"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 148, 18 March 1920, Page 7

"NO FALL IN PRICES"

MASTER GROCER'S PREDICTION "STILL HIGHER BEFORE-THE WINTER" The president > of the Wellington Grocers' Industrial Union of Employers (Mr. H. D. Bennett) makes some interesting comments in' his anau.il report to members. "Considerable difficulty" lie states, "hns been experienced by the trade during the past twelve' months in getting supplies. Bacon nnd sugar arc the principal items frequently unobtainnble. The' position has, however, improved considerably nil round, though prices continue to so upward for most of tho articles the trade carries. lam of the opinion that there will be no fall in present prices for at least two years, while quite a number of brend-and-bnb tcr lines will go sKll higher l)efore winter. After all, actual values are not much highr? now than in pre-war day* when the purchasing valr.s of , the sovereign is correspondingly assessed? A very healthy tone is noticeable throughout tho trade, which is materially added to !;>• the almost complete absence of prico-euttinpr advertisements, During tho year an attempt was made to test the feolinjr of members on this question, but a proposal to return to price advertising was overwhelmingly defeated. There are now 19 members on tho register, as against 50 for tho close of the previous year. An attempt was made during the Tear to increase, the roeinber- ' ship, but the sub-committee appointed for the purpose, met -'ith no success. The position, therefore, remains as before, namely, that the majority of grocers • in the city and suburbs prefer to narticipnte in the advantages given to tho trade by virtue of. I.h<i toil and exnenso of a limited few. We. must not. however, despair of ultimately enrolling the majority of those still outside. The master grocers of Auckland make their organisation one of much more value to its members than 1 is the case in Wellington. 1 am of the opinion that our union should aim far a better service in tho future. In this connection . the following may, perhaps, be kept in mind: Regulation of di£ counts, prices, and trading terms; combined buying in certain products; keep-, m? of a register of employees; and the establishment of a opmmon fund wherewith all canvassers' claims might be met (Protection League). Your incoming executive will be called upon to meet unrelenting pressure from the As--1 sistnnts' Union for still better conditions. • It in no secret that the aims of tho union are earlier closing, no late nights, and continuous Easter holidays. A recent order of tho Arbitration Court granted a further riso in wages, now making the basic, wage £3 12s. M. for adults, plus 4s. per week bonus, withpro rata" increases in the scale for juniors. This makes the second upward altera--1 tion in our award of Atareh. 1018. which was dated to expire in March of this ' year. At the annual meeting of the union, 1 h»ld on Tuesday night, the following officers were elected President. Mr, H. ' n. Bennett (re-elected); vic-presMent, Mr. I?. .Tnnson; secretary, Mr. H, -T. Rtott (re-elected): treasurer. Mr. -T. Ti. ■ Purler (re-elected^: committee, Messrs. IT. Wardell. J. M'Tlraith. ,T. P. Red- ' montl, 2. Bolt«n, :r. Priestly. .T. • auditor, Mr. E. Head (re-elected).