Grocers Attack Trade Practices’ Commission

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29746, 13 February 1962, Page 14

Grocers Attack Trade Practices’ Commission

(NX. Press Association)

ROTORUA, February 12.

A recommendation that the chairman of the Trade Practices and Prices’ Commission (Mr S. T. Barnett) be dismissed from his post, and a man with substantial commercial experience be appointed to it, was made by the New Zealand Master Grocers’ Federation to the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr Marshall) this afternoon. The recommendation came from the federation’s annual conference at Wairakei.

Mr J. L. Slater (Auckland), mover of the motion and remit placed before the federation, said Mr Barnett's long association with various positions in the Civil Service did not give him the qualifications of judging on affairs of commerce.

The motion, seconded by Mr F. G. M. Parkinson (Manawatu) was passed unanimously. Earlier, Mr H. R. Lapwood, member of Parliament for Rotorua, opening the conference, had criticised the Trade Practices and Prices Commission and said he hoped amendments would be made to the commission’s order prohibiting Master Grocers’ associations from issuing price guides.

(In March, 1960, the commission prohibited the issue of price guides by associations. After three appeals, the federation succeeded in February, 1961, in gaining exemptions for Wellington and Otago.) Grocers were the most progressive retailers of any

trade in New Zealand, said Mr Lapwood. By selling food at competitive prices and giving honest values they helped to keep the cost of living down.

According to the retiring president of the federation (Mr E. H. Down) after-hour trading, especially in the South Island, is making serious inroads into the turnover of the legitimate grocer. A number of dairies and fruit shops carried practically a full range of grocery lines and seemed to be open seven days and seven nights a week, he said, in his annual report. “This position is to be regretted, but while the lopsided application of freedom obtains, the legitimate grocer will be forced to adopt some measures in order to obtain his rightful share of the trade in his area,’’ he said.

He suggested the Government should consider lifting price control from several, if not all, grocery lines. The need for the members of the Trade Practices’ Com-

mission to be men of proven commercial ability was emphasised in the report.

Some legislation was necessary to deal with undesirable trade practices, but no trade practice should be heid to be contrary to the public interest unless it was shown there was some form of public exploitation. “The present chairman (Mr S. T. Barnett) is a man of unquestioned ability and is possessed of a strong sense of fairness, but the council does question whether bis entire working life spent in the civil service fits him for a task of this importance,” said Mr Down.