EARTHQUAKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 136, 10 June 1936, Page 11

EARTHQUAKE.

DISLOCATED TRADE.

CHEMISTS IN DOMINION. il TOO HIGH A PRICE." (By Telegrapn.— Parliarcentarj Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. "The opinion is widespread that chemists do charge too high." This statement was made in the House of Representatives to-day by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr. Sullivan, when speaking on the -report of the Industries and Commerce Committee, which presented a report on the petitions of a large number of chemists and others against the chain store system as applied to the pharmacy business. The Minister said that the chemists would have time to organise and put their house in order. The Minister said the committee had been given a most difficult problem to solve. It was freely admitted that Boots, Ltd., was a good firm. It paid

good wages and gave its employees good conditions. In addition it rendered good service to the public. Evidence was produced to the effect that where in Great Britain the firm had bought out private chemists the sellers were well satisfied with the treatment they received. The committee had not only petitions against Boots being allowed to establish itself, but individual letters from chemists throughout the country, their wives and families and assistants. All asked that the Government should protect them from an extension of the firm's operations. Unemployment. The Minister said that the evidence showed that the chemists and their families would have every reason to be concerned in the event of the firm's operations being made wider. He did not think that any of the private chemists would be able to hold their own— and remain in business—if they had to meet the competition of Boots, which had so many advantages. At the present time, also, there was a good deal of unemployment among chemists, anri lie was of opinion that a firm with all the ramifications of mass production and buying as in the case of Boots would be as an earthquake to the profession and lead; to. dislocation and unemployment. It was only fair to New Zealand chemists and their assistants that they should have a fair opportunity of earning a living.

"Having regard to all the factors I think the committee has chosen the right course," said the Minister. That was to deny for the present any right of extension to Boots, and to call upon the chemists of the Dominion to put their house in order-—to organise their business, in. a way that would enable them to give a better and cheaper service to the public, comparable with Loots. This could be done by closer organisation among themselves so that they could obtain the advantages of mass buying. Afterwards the position could be" reviewed again. When the period mentioned was up the Government would be able to see what the chemists had done to meet the situation to reduce prices and give a better public, service. It was up to the private cheuiists to take note of the recommendations of the committee, and what was being said about them. Thie would give them the opportunity at the end of six months to say they had reorganised and were in a position to give service at prices comparable with the service of Boots.

Empire Practice. The Minister said that in taking the course it had the committee had put itself in line with the practice adopted in most other parts of the British Empire—to refuse company pharmacies. Nearly everywhere within the Empire the profession of chemistry was regarded as something for individual enterprise rather than for the activities of a company. The committee was adopting a more generous attitude than had been carried out elsewhere. The committee had endeavoured to be fair to all parties. Probably there was a good deal of room for improvement in the business methods as applied to chemists in the Dominion. It was denied strenuously by witnesses that there had teen overcharging, but they had failed to produce itemised costs to give the committee a clear view. "But the opinion is widespread in the community that chemists do charge too high a price, and they will now have an opportunity to remedy that position/' he added.