SOLDIERS BUSINESSES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 206, 29 August 1918, Page 8

SOLDIERS BUSINESSES.

THE PKiOTECTIOK SCHEME. 110\\£ 111 .WILL STORE, (Special to '-Stan"); WELLINGTON - , ibis day. The Working of the regulations framed for tin protection of soldiers who have to leave businesses to . enlist was explained to your correspondent by those who have assisted to inuiie them. The chemists of Hamilton, in the Wa.ika.to, must take sonic credit for the germ of the scheme. One of their number, who , bad a shop in a good position, was failed lip for active sen ice. It was recognised that lie would lose a line business, and that it would bo to the advantage of his competitors. They were called together by the Hoard or Trustees. and the" position put to them. One chemist declined to have anything to da with any pooling uf profits, us he considered himself to "lie outside the sphere of advantage Pour others agreed to do B'imcthiuji for their absent rival, and they decided to close his shop, take his stork at a fair valuation, and ascertain what the absent man was going to lose in prolits through his military service. '.Wuiiiiiij:. for the sake of illustration, that it was £400 per annum (taking his military pay into account), the. four chemists agreed to make up to his dependents the difference between the military jay and his former income, paying into the common fund for thai purpose a proportion baaed upon their relative profits. .And this is how the new system will be adapt to any business. II a grocer goes into camp lie socks the help Qt' the National Efficiency Board, which calls together the grocers in the. area covered by the soldiers' business. They will be asked to run the business, or. if they believe, this cannot be prolitably done, they ■have the alternative of closing it. disposing of the stock amongst themselves, and making up the soldiers former profit out of their enhanced incomes through the absence of a rival. The Efficiency Board will set up a .Board of Trustees nominated by the Government, to carry out any of these arrangements, and if there is objection on the part of those carrying en the same trade in the district, the element of compulsion will be applied.