CONSUMERS’ MEETING

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29803, 21 April 1962, Page 19

CONSUMERS’ MEETING

Need For Greater Membership Seen

The membership of the Christchurch Consumer Association was below the number necessary to weld the association into a body strong enough to carry out its work effectively, said the chairman (Mr C. M. Thomas) at the annual meeting of the association.

Mr Thomas said the membership of the association at March 31. 1962 was 126. some c*f whom were unfinanciaj.

The liaison between the Christchurch association and the Consumer Service, with its headquarters iu Wellington, had been poor. Suggestions for a closer liaison had been rejected or ignored, he said.

If the Christchurch association was to function properly it should be able to deal with local complaints, rather than have the complaints sent to Wellington and then referred back to Christchurch.

Describing work done by the association during the last year, Mr Thomas said that inquiries had been made about the wrapping of bread, the standard of children’s shoes, and the possibility of radio broadcasts of produce prices. He said that if the market prices of fruit and vegetables were broadcast in the morning housewives would know whether retailers were charging excessive prices. This could build up consumer resistance.