FIGHTING FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 88, 15 April 1941, Page 4

FIGHTING FRONT.

RETAILERS TO UNITE.

QUESTIONS FOR CONFERENCE

"Formation of a fighting front to assist all retailers in the struggle for recognition and betterment"' will figure conspicuously in the business of the New Zealand Federation of Drapers, Clothiers and Boot Retailers when it meets at the end of the month. The official organ of the federation, in commending' the efforts for unity, remarks: "Over and over again it has been made apparent that many yoices speak with a strength that cannot be overlooked when they speak in unison. As individual voices they are greeted with contempt— because there is nothing to fear from them. The necessity for a combination of all retail interests i>? so strong that it is difficult to see how it can possibly lie overlooked. The troubles faced to-day are as nothing to those that will come up in the near future because of the crises looming up. - '

The journal points to concession* won bv workers' trade unions. It was reported at the meeting of the advisory board of the federation that chain store organisations had been approached.

In view of the important legislation pending, it was stated at the meeting that "there is urgent necessity for each centre to endeavour to call all retail traders together and test the general feeling, so that the matter can be discussed at the annual conference." Affiliation with the New Zealand Employers' Association is recommended for the Retailers' Federation. "In the New Zealand Employers' Federation we would have a powerful and influential organisation already built up,"' it is stated. "We would have there, also, men whose minds are thoroughly trained and who are alive to, and would be able to deal efficiently with, all the problems of our trade.

"This plan provides for a united organisation which would run side by side and in conjunction with the present sectional trade organisation. So, by linking the United Retail Merchants with the Employers' Federation, wc would not only be acquiring greater strength, but would be enabled to establish the united merchants on a Dominion-wide basis more economically. Indeed, the expense of establishment on this plan would be comparatively very small."