Letters in Brief

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 291, 4 September 1931, Page 11

Letters in Brief

Your correspondent “Country Retailer" feels aggrieved at the hawker getting in for his trade writes "Country Resident, but might I say that in most cases the' country retailer has only himself to blame,. My experience has been that invariably the country retailer is not satisfied with a fair thing, but exploits the country resident who may not be in a position to place his trade elsewhere. It is not unusual to find the country retailers prices anywhere from ten to fifty per cent, higher than in larger towns, and at that in small townships served by railway. Only this week I had an instance of foodstuffs eighty per cent, higher than in the main centres. If “Country Retailer” wishes to retain his trade, then let him fix his prices reasonably, so that while giving him a fair return, he would make it not wortn while the hawker hawking his district. Referring to unemployment, “Onlooker” writes; “Among other things, we have yet to learn that: (1) It is absolutely impossible to manufacture economically for less than million people, (2) The attempt to do so, as now in force, is a contributory cause of unemployment. (3) The Dominion being a debtor and exporting country cannot be seJ--contained, or self-supporting.. (4) A country which puts into practice the Arbitration Court, as applied here, will' never be able to compete with other countries. In appearance, arising from borrowing, we have done so in the past;but that has now come to an end. (5) . About the same as No. 4 applies to wheat, the necessary food for all or us. and much of our live-stock. Our experience will be bought at the price, of much suffering."

Ponies used in playing polo usually cost from 100 to 600 guineas each. record price being £4200.