DIRECT TO CONSUMERS

Shannon News, 1 March 1927, Page 2

DIRECT TO CONSUMERS

♦ ELIMINATING MIDDLEMEN. BRITISH VISITOR'S VIEWS. Sir Thomas Allen and Messrs. J. English and W. T. Charter, directors of the Co-operatiA'e Wholesale Society of Great Britain, who are at present in Sydney, have come to Australia and will later visit NeAV Zealand, for the purpose of linking together the primary producers of Australasia with the manufacturing consumers in Great Britain, says the Sydney "Morning Herald." The society they repi-esent is a federation of 1200 retail societies, formed for the purpose of meeting the wholesale requirements of the retail constituents. Ths wholesale society has an annual trade of £750,000,000 and the retail societies have an annual turnover of between £250,000,000 and £300,000,000. Productive enterprises include those connected with the manufacture of flour tons of wheat are used every year), woollens, • textiles, boots and shoes, blankets, soaps, jams and preserves,, and many other lines. Trade Unity.

Mr. Charter said to the journal named that it was felt that there was a good deal to be done toward the elimination of the many interests that stood between-the first producer and the ultimate consumer. As members of a directorate, they were representing a consumers' organisation on this tour .to confer "with the directors of the co-operative organisations as to how ; best a* reciprocal trade could be built up. As a producer Australia held a prominent position in the English markets, and it was with a vieAV. to extending through the society, as far.as possible, the sale of Empire goods, that they desired eo create such /an atmosphere as.' would, lead to a larger exchange of commodities,

England was .essentially a manufacturing country while Australia.was one largely of primary production. The object of co-operative effbrt in countries was identical —namely to give to the producer a fair reward tor.the result o£ his labour, and at the same time, .eliminate such unnecessary expenfce s as Avould aIIOAV the consumer^ to receive goods at the lowest possible price. "We have established very satisfactory relations between the primary producers in NeAV Zealand and ourselves," asserted Mr. Charter. There a company has been formed for the purpose of carrying on those trade relations, and the result has been very satisfactory. We are hoping that Ave may achieve a similar result in Australia. We are quite aware that the conditions in certain essentials are different, but the ultimate end of all co-operative effort is the result of one basic principle, that of bringing closely together interests Avhich, though they appear antagonistic at some points, are closely related at others, and endeavour to do the best they can' for producer and consumer.