"ON THE LIST "

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 52, 29 August 1913, Page 8

"ON THE LIST "

BANKRUPT SADDLERS COMPLAINT PRACTICES IN THE TRADE [BY TBLBOBAPtt— SPECIAL TO THE POST.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. "Could you have pulled through?" " I might havf, but hadn't a chance. 1 lost a lot of business. I went to a warehouse to buy a horse-cover for a customer. I had the money in my hand but they wouldn't sell to me. I wag on the list." This question and answer formed part of the examination of a local sad- j dler who had filed his schedule in bankruptcy. The Official Assignee looked up in surprise, but the creditors present, mostly men connected with the trade in, one way or another, either did not fee;l or did not show any surprise whatsoever. Thinking the position somewhat unusual, a reporter asked two local saddlers if they could corroborate the statement that the warehouse had refused to supply goods for cash because the bankrupt was on some black list. One man said that although he had had no experience of , such a thing himself, being in the position to import or pay cash, he had flo^ doubt whatever that there was such a list, that the wholesale firms acted conjointly in these matters, and that they had some system whereby if a man owed any one firm money his credit, if not his purchasing power, was stopped by 1 ) all the other firms. The second man was more definite. He knew that the wholesale saddling firms worked hand in hand in this matter, because he happened to be On the black list himself and had been refused gotids even when he offered cash for them. Subsequent enquiries revealed the existence of the Wholesale Saddlers and Saddlers' Ironmongery Association of New Zealand, which, according to one saddler, meets once a year, and then informs the trade on what lines prices have been raised. It is against this organisation that the retail saddlers feel that they have a real grievance, not only in concerted action of affiliated firms in refusing credit to anyone behind in his payments to any single firm, but in selling to individuals at prices below the figure at which the retailer himself could supply the goods. A leading retail saddler was asked about the "listed" articles. He admitted candidly that the association had listed certain goods. As far as he could see ■the " listing " Worked against the small man. There was a certain limit, and if a buyer could exceed that limit he got a reduction in price ttiat was something considerable, sometimes ranging from 10 to 26 per cent. That favoured the' big man every time. Another retailer, when asked what *'list" lines were, said: "Every day lines in common demand. They (meanIng wholesale firms) all quote the same price up to a certain quantity." Every retailer spoken to confirmed the statement that wholesale firms in the association had agreed as to tho selling price of certain lines, and that both the agreement and the rule regarding thequantity that must be purchased before the reduced prices could be obtained worked disastrously against the small retailer. The enquiries were then turned in the direction of ascertaining what truth lay in the statement made at the* meeting of creditors that goods had been refused, even though cash were offered. The bankrupt himself, when questioned, repeated his statement. He said that he went into a certain warehouse and asked for a horse-cover, which he knew was sold at £1, and he had a £1 note in his hand. The salesman referred him to the manager and the manager said he could not supply the article. "Did the firm have what you were after"?" he was, asked. "Of course they did," was the reply. " The covers were lying the¥e before my very eyes." " Then why did they not sell to you ?" was the next query. "Because, as I have already said, a firm placed me on the list and the others dare not sell to me. They are under some bond or" deposit, £50 I've been told, not to sell or give credit to anyone on the list," In the course of his enquiries, the reporter came across one or two cases which seemed unusual. In one case a firm of saddlers got into a dispute with a wholesale saddlery firm regarding 2s 3d, an amount which the firm had deducted as discount. The wholesale firm contended that the amount should not liave been deducted, as the account was not settled till two days after the last discount date. The retail firm contended that the letter had been posted in time and refused to pay. A little later one of the firm's staff went to another warehouse to buy certain goods. The salesman did not come forward to meet him, but " slipped round " and evidently saw the manager. Anyhow, the manager came forward and said that he had learned with great surprise that the buyer had refused to settle an account due to another firm and that under the circumstances he could not supply him. Naturally enough the retailer paid his 2s 3d and closed his account with that particular firm.