CHAIN STORE TRADING

Grey River Argus, 15 October 1936, Page 6

CHAIN STORE TRADING

Co-op. Dairy Coys. AGAINST RETAILERS. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, October 14. Further evidence of the opposition traders who petitioned Parliament asking for control of chain stores, was heard by the Industries Committee, today. when Mr. W. Free appeared on behalf of the National Dairy Association, and called C. 11. Backhouse, the General Manager and’ secretary. Witness said the Association had seen the advantage of building up a complete co-operative system, which would take cream from the farmers, and place it as butter in the housewives’ baskets without the intervention of any but co-op. institutions. At that time,' it held the New Zealand agency for manufactured goods of the Co-op' Wholesale Society, England, and saw in the development of ft purely customers’ movement in New Zealand, the opportunity of securing a degree of reciprocal trade between the co-op movehienit in Britain and the co-operatively organised dairy producers in New Zealand. A qnestiona.ire had been .sent, to 215 factories, but ownig to the shortness of time available, only G 9 replies were received. Of .these, 44- stated they were not in competition with local traders, and 25 stated that they carried on general storekeeping. From information received, it was apparent that these factories were working on a margin of profiit. comparable with that prevailing in the retail trade. He said that the retailers had no ctomplainlt- unless it was that dfairy company trading was a success. He denied trading was a success. He denied' there was any unfair trading on the part of the factories, and said the tendency in' the customer-owned store was towards ia fuller service at till times. Picking eyes out of the trade resulted from the quest for profit and a co-op body was primarily concerned with service.