ITINERANT VENDORS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 152, 9 April 1930, Page 4

ITINERANT VENDORS.

Sir,—-Perusing your valuable paper, the “ Guardian,” last . evening, _ I noticed an advertisement intimating that a Chinese vendor of silks and linen table cloths intended to make a house-to-house canvass. The thought occurred to me why should house-to-house canvassers be allowed to call folk to their front or back doors at any time of the clay, and why should they be allowed to take away business that should he kept in Ashburton, seeing that as a rule these itinerants pay neither rents, rates, or wages. In all fairness to local business people, they .should he licensed by the local authority and made to > pay a sum equal to six months’ rent of suitable premises for their trade. It is grossly unfair to the business people of the town, who employ labour, pay! rates, erect premises and help to build up' the town and county by the investment of their capital, for these itinerants to get away with trade that should be retained here. I think I am right in saying that the Milton Borough Council made by-laws to meet this kind of thing, by imposing certain conditions upon this class of visitors. Some time ago a .Dunedin firm opened up there for time, made a great splash and-then left. They were .prosecuted under the by-laws and fined for their enterprise, the Magistrate holding that the by-law "was good. I commend this to our Borough Council, who should have had a similar by-law in operation long ago. It is their duty to study the interests of the whole, community, especially of those who have to contribute the larger amount of the rates. This mattei was brought up at a recent meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce, and passed on to the Borough Council for consideration and' action. So far I have not noticed any move by the Council in this direction, but it is more than time something was done. Some of these vendors are rude and arrogant. The women folk have been much disturbed hv their manner and impudence. I hope the ~ Council will take this matter up promptly, and’ frame a by-law to meet the case. Trade is slow enough and competition keen enough without this class of interference by outsiders, except on equal terms. FAIR PLAY.