MASTERTON BUTCHERS' ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9044, 1 February 1908, Page 6

MASTERTON BUTCHERS' ASSOCIATION.

A SET OF RULES DRAWN UP. THE CREDIT SYSTEM. An important meeting of the master butchers of Masterton was held yesterday, when the following representatives of various butchering firms doing business in the town were present:—D. Ogilvy, A. A. Stempa, F. Hollowav, A. A. Narby, R. W. J. Elley and W. Morris. Mr Morris was voted to the chair. It was decided to form a Master Butchers' Association, to be registered under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1900, the object of the Association to be "for the protection of the butchering industry, regulating the price of meat, and to endeavour to promote healthy competition as well as a friendly, cordial and kindly feeling among the members." The meeting approved of a code of rules for the guidance and management of the associations regards the sale of meat and credit to be given to customers. The rule relating to customers' accounts and credit allowed is of special interest to the community as a whole. It is as follows Any customer who changes his butcher without settling his account shall not be supplied by another member of the association after members have been notified to that effect, until the account has been paid, such customer pays cash at the time of purchasing the meat. No member of the association shall allow any customer more than one month's credit, and unless accounts are paid by the 20th of the following month such customer's name shall bs placed on the 'black list,'and all members of the association notified to that effect." No member of the association is allowed to holdout any unfair inducement to obtain a customer, and the practice of giving customer's Christmas boxes is to be discontinued. Any member selling meat under the price fixed by the association or supplying any storekeeper who sells under the fixed retail price, or infringing any of the rules of the association, will be fined £lO for the first offence, and £2O for the second offence. Mr C. A. Tabateau has been elected secretary, and the rule 3 come into force from to-day.