Customers offer firm support

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 1

Customers offer firm support

Customers of the Christchurch stationery firin of Wallace-Carswell, Ltd, have offered financial support while the company is refused credit by wholesalers.

A director of Wallace-] Carswell (Mr N. Cars-] well) said yesterday that several large organisations which did their stationery business with the firm had offered to make funds available to meet the demands of wholesalers.

Last week Wallace-Cars-well, Ltd, complained to the Department of Industries and Commerce that several wholesalers were refusing to supply goods unless they were paid for on the spot. Mr Carswell said that the wholesalers had taken this stand because his firm was supplying customers at discount prices. He said that not only did his firm have the support of his customers—mostly large buyers of stationery—but other organisations; including the Paper Manufacturers' Association, were on his side. Mr Carswell disputed a statement by the president of the New Zealand Stationers' Guild (Mr S. Broadbent, of Wellington) that there were no price list agreements within the guild.

“It is perfectly well known within the trade that stationers work to a uniform price list. Anyone can put this to the test by. asking stationers to give prices on anv numbers of itenis. There will be no variation from one stationer to another,” ’said Mr Carswell. .

Wallace-Carswell, Ltd, has been in business in Christchurch for 10 months, supply; ing stationery from a shop in Cashel Street. The firm has contracts with organisations with branches throughout the South Island. Until wholesalers stopped supplying the firm on invoice it had several vehicles engaged solely in delivering stationery to clients. One pi its vehicles is now used full time picking up goods from wholesalers. Mr Carswell said that the

I wholesalers had said that supplies must be paid for in cash.