ASSISTANCE FOR INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22591, 22 December 1938, Page 10

ASSISTANCE FOR INDUSTRY

MINISTER'S COMMENT ON REGULATIONS

NEW AND BETTER ERA FOR PHARMACISTS

(PEESS ASSOCIATIOH TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, December. 21. In a statement to-day, the Minister for Industries and Commerce (the Hon. D. Q. Sullivan) referred to the pharmacy regulations gazetted to-day. "I announced earlier in the year," said Mr Sullivan, "that the industrial plan prepared by the Bureau of Industry under the Industrial Efficiency Act for the reorganisation of the pharmacy industry had been accepted by more than 90 per cent, of retail pharmacists throughout the Dominion." "For carrying out the proposals in the plan, I announced some time ago my appointment of members of the Pharmacy Plan Industrial Committee, constituted in accordance with the proposals set out in the plan, and representative of the Government and all sections of the industry- This committee has done a considerable amount of preliminary work, and the regulations now published provide the necessary authority for the committee to carry out its work. The powers given to the committee in the regulations are those necessary to give effect to the proposed powers and functions of the committee as set out in the plan, and approved by the industry. "It will' be observed that the scale for the licence fee and levy set out in the regulations provides for considerably lower amounts than provided for in the plan. The plan provided for an annual levy of £lO for each pharmacy a year, plus an additional £1 a year for each £SOO of sales turnover in excess of £SOOO. but after carefully investigating the matter the industrial committee has satisfied me that the lower scale would return sufficient revenue for the adminis'tration and expenditure involved. Accordingly the committee has recommended the scale now approved by the Government in the regulations. It will be seen that the levy is a graduated one, which will mean that the smaller pharmacies will now pay only £5 or £G a shop, according to the turnover. Applications For Licences

"The Bureau of Industry will be communicating individually with all pharmacists as soon as possible, informing them of the procedure to be followed in lodging applications for licences, so that meanwhile no action will be necessary on the part of those engaged in the industry." In conclusion, Mr Sullivan said that the Government and the Bureau of Industry had made every possible endeavour to assist pharmacists to rehabilitate their industry. "I appeal to all pharmacists, on their part," said Mr Sullivan, "to extend that measure of co-operation to their industrial committee, which will enable it to- administer the regulations to the best advantage of the industry. I believe the basis is laid in the regulations for greatly improved conditions in the retail pharmacy industry, and in my opinion a new and better era ing for the pharmacists of our Dominion."