SUPPORT WITHDRAWN

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 22

SUPPORT WITHDRAWN

RETAILERS' PETITION

MISREPRESENTATION ?

Alleging that their signatures had been secured to the mass retailers' petition asking the Government to check the activities of chain and departmental stores, five manufacturing and retailing concerns presented a letter to the chairman of the Industries and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives dissociating themselves from the petition. Evidence in support of the petition was given by by Mr. A. D. Wylie, of Wellington, who presented a detailed statement yesterday and continued today. While Mr. Wylie was giving evidence counsel for Woolworths (N.Z.), Ltd., J. R. McKenzie, Ltd., and Macduffs (Mr. G. G. G. Watson) asked leave to read a letter that was addressed to the chairman of the Committee (Mr. J. Hodgens). Mr, Hodgens said he had not received any letter, and Mr. Watson explained that he had been asked to read the letter at the inquiry and then hand it to the chairman. He then read and. put in the letter, which was as follows:— We, the undersigned, desire to dissociate ourselves from the petition promoted by the Massed Retail Traders' Political Association, on the ground that our signatures thereto were obtained by misrepresentation,. in that we were assured of the intention of the petition being designed only for the regulation of chain store businesses as distinct from that of the ordinary departmental establishment. Signed: Brown, Ewing, and Co., Ltd. Drapery and General Importing Co. of N.Z., Ltd. Wolfenden and Russell. Arthur Barnett, Ltd. . • Drapery Supplies Association, Ltd. Mr. Watson suggested that the Committee should scrutinise the petition carefully. During the short time he had had. to' go through it he had noticed several signatures purporting to be those of Chinese, but obviously written by a European. Chinese and Hindu fruiterers had attached their signatures to the' petition, but he was at a loss to understand how they could be concerned about the inquiry. He expressed the opinion that if the signatures of bona fide retailers only were taken into account, the numbers remaining would be very small indeed.

Mr. Wylie said that it was a fact that four or five of those who had signed the document had later asked to have their names removed. ' The petition had nothing whatever to do with the Massed Retail Traders' Political Association and it was ridiculous to, suggest that any of those who had signed it had not understood the meaning of the document when the wording consisted of a few lines only.