BUTTER SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 120, 22 May 1937, Page 13

BUTTER SUPPLIES

/ GROCERS' PROTEST

7 A resolution calling on the Govern,'nient to cancel immediately all appoint- / ments which compelled grocers to purchase their supplies of butter from any firm competing with them in direct supply to the public was carried unanimously at' a special' meeting of the > New Zealand Master Grocers' Federation held recently in Wellington., The - resolution reads as follows: — "That this special, meeting of the I New Zealand Master Grocers' Fed.eration herewith record* M «mphatic protest against the undemocratic and inequitable action of the Government in granting butter distributorships to whdlesale firms with trading or other economic interests in retail shops'; while at -the same', time refusing such to Foodstuffs Limited, a co-operative supplying' concern, belonging solely to re-:-tailors.

"Such procedure, in our opinion, be-sides-being a grave and dangerous departure from the principles professed by the Government, is invidious and contrary to the principles of British fair play. We, therefore, call upon the Government to cancel immediately all such appointments as compel grocers to purchase their supplies from any firm competing with them in direct supply to the public. "In our opinion such appointments give firms selected unfair and inequitable advantages 'detrimental to all honest trading. We press for a iull and searching inquiry into" all such appointments, and requests that until such 'inquiry is made all retailers of butter should be allowed to draw their supply from the Internal Marketing Branch at the price charged to distributors."