"SPURIOUS" CASH TRADING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8044, 3 February 1906, Page 2

"SPURIOUS" CASH TRADING.

DISCUSSED BY NEW PLYMOUTH TRADESMEN. CIVIL SERVANTS' PROPOSAL CONDEMNED. A meeting of business people was held iu the Council Chambers, New Plymouth, on Friday night, to discuss the terms and conditions of the proposed Cash Traders' Association. There were over forty present, representing grocers, bakers, butchers, bootmaker—m short, almost every line of business in town Appeared to be represented. II is Worship the Mayor, Mr R. Cock, was invited to preside. At. the outset Mr Baker moved that the business he discussed in committee. It was important that everyone should feel free to speak their minds freely. A report of the proceedings might be supplied to the Press biter." The motion was carried and the Press withdrew.

The business of the meeting was then proceeded with, and fully discussed, the fillowing motions being carried unanimously : Thai, this meeting, representing nearly the whole of the business people of New Plymouth, strongly protests against the action of certain Civil servants, — 1. Combining together so as to force Tradesmen to quote them a discount from oif the price ipioted to the general public ; in other words to give the Civil Servants better prices for six weeks' credit than given to others for Cash on delivery of goods, 2. Going outside their legitimate province, as servants of the State, paid by those whose busine.w they would ruin, by offering inducements to the public to join their Association, to the manifest and unfair injury of the Tradespeople as a whole.

:l. Seeking to compel the members of the Association to confine their business to one linn of each class of goods, thus creating a monopoly which would' bo against the interests'of the town as a whole, a*, carried to its natural sequence, it would mean one grocer, one draper, etc. 4, irt'ially threatening any branch of trade that if they persisted in rcfus'iug to quo'.e prices and discounts, they, the AssD-iation, would bring trades from other parts of the colony who would do so. It was further resolved that Mr Berry, who is visiting Wellington shortly, be asked to bring the above resolutions under the notice of the Premier.