TRADE PROTECTION SOCIETY.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 146, 13 August 1880, Page 3

TRADE PROTECTION SOCIETY.

A meeting of persons interested in the formation of a Trade Protection Society ' was held.at.,P.onney,’s~Hotel ,last-evening, .j ;Mr H. Dodson in the .chair, /There was a large attendance Of the tradespeople of tlie town. The Chairman briefly pointed out the advantages likely to accrue from the formation of such a Society as was now proposed to be started here. Jle quoted, from “ Chambers’ En'CyclopaHlia ” to show how great a protection from swindling these Societies were in the Old Country. Mr.TPursyr suggested that a : Committee; should be formed; and that a President, Secretary, and Solicitor should be appointed, and that the* Society should consist of bona fide tradesmen. He would like to see man like l Mr Dodson'appointed ;tq the office of President. "iffiC "object of the Society would be to protect,tradesmen from designing customers and swindlers. He handed in a written document offering suggestions. . f Mr Turner suggested that before going! further the Society should be formed so j that they could see how many were going to join. Mr Earll concurred in Mr Purser’s remarks. , Mr Hustwick, proposed that in the opiiw ion of this meeting it is desirable to estab- • j f . j f lish a Trade Protection Society for the benefit of bona fide tradesmen of the district.’ - >iJ B‘!»j/f i Mr Girling seconded the motion, saying ithe time had arrived for the establishment of such a Society. He felt it particularly ,-himself. The object was to protect tradesmen chiefly against aristocratic swindlers, the niajoiv.portion of badjdebts here arising from tffis cIAsV. ‘ ' ’"" ' The motion was'carried liihauimously. Mr Stenhonse said, he had written to Auckland and other places for codes of rules, for information. The following persons agreed to join the* /J. Scott) Wt 11. Earll, P. Lawrence,’ J. Mackenzie, C.- MarknVan, I). Draper, Davis Bros., H. Elbeek, J. Turner, A. Mason, W. B. Girling, Healy and . Son, R. AY. Parker, W. liitchfield, E. Purser, A. Sowman, W. Ching, A. Peddle, and S. Clinch. Mr Healy moved that the Association be managed- by da , Secretary, ■ and Treasurer, combined, and a committee of

five, three to be a quorum, the President See etary, and Treasurer, to be ex officio committeemen. Mr Earll seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Girling proposed Mr Dodson as President. • i , ! Mr Purser seconded the motion. Mr Dodson said he felt the compliment. He was-aparty man, but he should not import party feeling into such an association. If he was elected it M ould be called a Hen-derson-Dodson party affair, and they had better consider whether this .taunt would be fatal to it. He had thought the matter over and was of opinion that Mr Girling would he the man. Mr Purser, Mr Earll, Mr Girling, and Mr Parker, said they had every confidence in Mr Dodson. Mr Dodson u r as unanimously elected. Mr Healy proposed that Mr Stenhouse be Secretary and Treasurer for 12 months. Mr Earll seconded tlie motfon, which was carried, j< [ / f j r . I|’ r ! The following Were proposed as Commiti teemen : —Messrs Earll, Girling, Litchfield j (declined) Healy, Lau-rence, Scott, Davis, I Draper, Hust wick, Purser, Elbeelc (declinj ed), gild Parker. . , ,r,, r ' r rri Tfi „, t .r: [. J A ballot was then ! taken, arid the follow-' ing were elected—Messrs Girling 20, Healy 15, Hristwick 15, Draper 14, Earll 12. Mr Healy moved that the annual subscription be L2 2s. , j I I ■,/•*(, J Mi- Lawrence suggested that LI Is would be sufficient if paid in advance. Mr Girling said he thought LI Is would be enough. This was agreed to, the payment to constitute membership. Mr Litchfield moved that the first Monday in every month at -If psst 7 o’clock be the time the Association shall meet. This was agreed to. -{ The Committee was authorised to draw up a set of rules to be submitted to a meetto he held at Penney’s Hotel in a fortnight. The meeting then adjourned. The following! is the document handed in by Mr Purser : “The first object of this Association is for the better protection of our interests respecting the credit system necessary for the legitimate demands on tradesmen. Secondly, that to better define and by reasonable confidence mutually assist each other in arriving at what extent of credit any person Ain der consideration should be fairly entitled to, and- whilst we are trying to protect ourselves, to pledge ourselves to carefully avoid importing anything either by discussion, or otherwise, that might be detrimental to those under consideration. To succeed in this object it is all-important that while we have for our object the benefit ting of ourselves, we take every care that we do not put others to an undue,disadvantage. To attain this object I would suggest ■that the members of the Association should consist of bona fide tradesmen only, to be duly proposed, seconded, and elected, by ballot, and I leave it for the meeting to say as to what number of black balls; shall preclude a proposed member. I would propose that we elect a President, Secretary, and Solicitor, the President to be Chairman for twelve months, and other officers, if created, to retire, and be competent for re-elec-tion every year. That the solicitor’s duty shall he to attend our meetings and furnish a report of anyicircutnstances calculated to • concern the Society, such as securities .given and procedings taken against private individuals for recovery of debts, and to appear on behalf of any member who shall have cause to sue for a debt; and to avoid frivolous procedure I would suggest that the Society shall fix a sum at which they should sue for recovery. As- our principal end is the protection of ourselves against designing debtors rather than unfortunate on jS.it is desirable that we should arrive at a method by which we can define tlie two. I w'ould suggest that if any member wishes to make an enquiry respecting a customer, that is to say, r supposing Mr Jones feels uneasy about Mrs Brown,;heishall give notice to the Chairman to announce Mrs Brown’s name, on which each member (whether a creditor or not) shall write tlie name, and amount, if any,, fold the paper ■and hand it to the Chairman. Tlie Chairman shall then add up the amount of those concerned and announce tlie total, and, while w T e do not define shillings or pence, if any member should be found to misstate his amount he shall be open to censure,’ and if thought necessary, expulsion.”