GROCERS RESTIVE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1930, Page 8

GROCERS RESTIVE

PRICE-CUTTING DISCUSSED. ' AUCKLAND, May 13. There was an attendance of over 300 at a meeting of retail grocers last evening, convened by the Auckland I Master Grocers’ Association, when i price-cutting was th£ principal subject i for discussion. Mi' W. Curtis, the ■ president, occupied the chair. I Press representatives were not adj mi’tted hut a statement was supplied ’o-day by the secretary, Mr J. Heaton Barker. Hr Barker said competition in the \le of foodstuffs had become exceedingly keen. A gop'd'deiil of unrest prevailed in the trade owing to unrestrained price-cutting. As a result he said, equality of opportunity had been destroyed, and it was the duty of the meeting to decide whae was required to restore thaet equality. A resolution was unanimously passed calling upon the Government to repeal the Cost of Living Act; 1915, the point being made that it was purely a war measure and altogether unnecessary in view of the Board of Trade Act, 1919. ’ Rpresentatives of the Northern Pharmaceutical Association were present, and its president, Mr E. Smith assured the meeting of its full approval of the grocers’ point of view. He also ..•poke of the efforts made some years ago to form a Proprietary Articles’ Trade Protection Association with the object of stabilising prices. Cue speaker very strongly stressed tiie point that inasmuch as employees were bound to receive a minimum wage according to their industrial award, it was only fair that those responsible for paying those wages should have an equal opportunity to secure a reasonable return for the capital and labour employed in their businesses. The secretary also urged upon members of the trade the desirability of giving preference to Dominion manufactured goods. This, be said, was the olicy of the New Zealand Master Grocers’ Federation. He asked all members of the trade to support inanu’oturers in their endeavours to encourage the sale of Dominio nprocTucts.