GIFT COUPONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 166, 16 July 1931, Page 3

GIFT COUPONS.

AUCKLAND FIRM'S REQUEST.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIEW

WILL NOT URGE INQUIRY.

After consideration of a request from Messrs. Bond and Bond, Ltd., that tire Auckland Chamber of Commerce should telegraph to the Prime Minister asking him to set up a select committee of the House of Representatives to go further into the question of gift schemes of trading, the chamber this morning decided to take no further action. The chairman, Mr. A. M. Seaman, pointed out the expressed attitude of the chamber to the system. While they could take no exception to gifts of the same commodity as that sold, they felt that a serious position was caused by the giving of extraneous articles as gifts. Mr. A. G. Lunn moved that the chamber take no further action. The opposition to the system was being supported by chambers of commerce in England, and he thought it would be inadvisable for the chamber to alter its decision. Mr. W. A. Boucher moved an amendment that the Associated Chambers of Commerce be asked to approach the Prime Minister with a request to submit the question to a select committee for further consideration. "There is nothing wrong with the matter going to a select committee," he said, "and as an act of grace, the chamber could allow this to be done." The question was receiving wide interest, and should be thoroughly investigated before any action was taken"l hope that we will not stultify our previous work or become a body of wobblers." said Mr. Lunn. "The matter has been thrashed out by the Associated Chambers, and we have given them our support. They will not think our word is worth anything if, after expressing one view, we withdraw it and suggest another." Mr. Boucher said that the chamber was asking the Government to interfere with business. They had previously expressed the opinion that the Government should not interfere with business interests. The amendment was lost, and the motion, that no further action be taken, was carried. Letters were also received from the Auckland Wholesale Grocers' Association stating that they were not in a position to give a- unanimous decision, and from the Auckland Master Grocers' Association, opposing the gift trading system.