SHOPKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 8

SHOPKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

STBEET WIDENING.—BAD DEBTORS. 1 ■ A meeting', of tho New Zealand Shopkeepers* Association was held on Thursday'''afternoon, in tho office of tho secretary, Mr. H. P. Allen, Mr. H. H. Scaton presided. ', , f ' A:.Turner, tho occupier of :a shop iu tho r Hotel Windsor building, wrote "that when ho*;-entered ••.the premises •he ; was- under the impression that Willis Street* was shortly to be widened, and his premises- would then bo on the. street , line. As there' appeared to' be no immediate prospect of the widening being undertaken by the City Council, lie wished to point •• out •" thatfrom a -business, point'i of 'view ho was under a great disadvantage. The businesa traffic in the street was practically, outside his verandah posts, and a window' show was almost valueless.' The. writer asked if'the association could ascertain, whether there was any probability of tho street being widened in the near future,,, or tho . footpath being broiightback to the verandah line—Tho chairman .said that the .negotiations between the City Council and Mr/G. Goodall had fallen through. Tho council had offered' .£4OO for the lease, which had sis and a half-years to run, but. My. Goodall wanted: He considered ! tho latter sum a reasonable offer. Shopkeepers in tho,Hotel Windsor-block had received a verbal promise that the street-widen-ing would be gone on with almost immediately. Ho held, no brief for Mr. Goodall, but the Windsor block was a council leasehold, and he contended that the'city was, losing .revonuo by not-putting back Goodall's block to the level of tho other premises.—lt was decided to write to tho. City., Council. stating that tenants of premises m the Hotel Windsor block were suffering considerable disadvantage through the delay: in carrying out the-street-widening proposals...; . ■ A protracted discussion took place on methods which might bo adopted to' deal with. non-pay-ing'customers, and it was agreed that list", should be kept in the association office, in;.which.should be inserted the names of unprofitable persons who habitually incurred debts with retailers." , The association decided not to renew affiliation with the Employers' Association. /Two new members wero elected.