PHARMACEUTICAL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 111, 3 February 1908, Page 11

PHARMACEUTICAL.

- .CHEMISTS' UMO.N" PROPOSED In,the current month's issue of tho "Chomist ind:Druggist,of-Australasia" appears tho follownlfl artiole on tho proposed trade union of pharmacists. • Tho article is interesting enough to reprint:—' vj : ■ ' "The .correspondence in our December issuo ihojrs ''tut'',- thought has been aroused, by the iugijestion ' that, the trade-union -'legislation citrj. opportunities-for (organising pharmacists.; ih<! jnli.tccl Is too, largevand 1 complicated to bo' iuamlisod - et-A ; moment's thought, and we: urj(>htly.,inT-itc. all . interested ■ in the progresse/ ?h«rftiacT.!tA"-;;iTe some consideration, and ;li?t fOs 1 present opinions. '•} '.''lV;Xftt.wOnl!l'(b«'.tlio\re«dlt if all young men, registered, joined l a Union of IHtiirmciiits?.!. It .ttould .take only, a few years {rir/suchl(i'unionito grow strong. It would enunity. .not. otherwise obof. meeting the growing of other interests in the community; • In f particular we 1 would invite .University training in Kmt; i>outh ■ Wales' and :South Australia, and those :of college training in ■ Victoria, and Queensland," to let' 'us know just. how the proposal .appeals', to them. : ' ' "I/»st the ground of the inquiry should be overlooked,, we'recall the fact that the Trade Union, Act in', the different States, as in England, pfovidcsVfbr > combinations of employers with',.employers, employers with workers, and' vorkers 'With workers, and that the Acts make it legal 1: to. combine for .tho purpose of agree- ■ mehts i', concerning conditions oil , which.. any mfmbej''.foi ,: .ithe ; time being of ; such trade onion ;sh'all';oj shall not 6ell their goods, trans-act--business; 'employ; or be employed. 0 "'Further,,, in tie anti-trust legislation pro-posed-(tn'; the' Commonwealth Parliament only thr^V'combinations are attacked-which ate to the • detriMent of the'public, and 'due regard is' ,to ; ; bV.'hiid to the interests of producers, l •workernl and-:consumer6.' As we stated in our November vissue, any combination which secured only reasonable profits to producers and distHbu'tors-could not be a combination ;for the'restraint, of trade to the .detriment of the public;v'Ai agreement fixing.the prices of disSerisiiig,' the rate of profit to be obtained on aei'sile!-of'-proprietary medicines, the hours of -. labiiiri --tne remuneration of assistants, would be legal nnder the Trade Union Act; and,'so'long as the rates were fair, under the anti-trust legislation also. -The importance, or the movement would be in proportion to tlie .number of men who joined the union ond'the-httmbcr who remained outside. "Thoso'to whom the modern movement towards' .cofnbiiiations 6eems to be beneath the dignity. v of tie profession will. look upon this suggisstifcn. with abhorrence. Possibly as time naosesi aid the strength resulting from combination' becomes moro manifest, the abhorrence, Will be lessened. Bnt the agitation by the officers in Victoria to eeeure a 'eonsiderable proportion of, the retail trade \ must surely make every pharmacist realise that he is face to face with a powerful and far-teaching movement. : The subject urgently needs consideration and discussion, so that all aspects can be brought out." .