TOPICS FOR TRADESMEN

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17096, 19 February 1916, Page 12

TOPICS FOR TRADESMEN

[From Ouit Correspondent.] LONDON, January L A r ALL'E OF ASSOCIATIONS. Speaking recently on the benefits anejf advantages of associations, a trader sais that when one realised 1 tho large nun.* . ber of tradesmen who have not ye'i joined any association, one began to wonder whether any benefits are uo» rived from becoming a member., -tu? supposed that everyone was in business •with the object of ge\ting the best out of it, and worries and troubles would be minimised only by co-operation an the development of good feeling between those who &r© in competition: with each other. Before his particular association was formed there were few traders in tho district who each other, or thought of asking advice or favour from his neighbour. Each had his own particular standard of prices, and had some of them been ruling today they would have meant disaster. The association took up this question, and by the exercise of a little patience managed to regulate prices in the district. Another benefit the members enjoyed was to be found in the advice they all at some time or other required. He had heard of employers who said they did not need any advice from anyone as to how to conduct their business, but there were few people who, at some timo or another, had not been glad of some friendly hint. Then, of course, there was the social side to bo considered. A guinea, two guiueas, or even much more, was a cheap and most valuable investment.

PUBLIC LIGHTING AND EARLY CLOSING. A remarkable growth of the early closing movement has. been brought about mainly by the reduction of public lighting, not only in London, but also in various provincial towns. Alosti of the London newspapers have recently contained advertisements _ pointing out tl:e advantages of shopping early, but the public scarcely needed these reminders, for it has not been slow in realising how much more congenial day- ~ light shopping is in these days. Customers are better satisfied when shopping during the day, for they can see what they are buying better, even though they may not doubt the quality or material of goods being offered them. The system also works out in favour of tho shopkeeper. He finds he is saving in regard to lighting expenses, his own energy is not so severely taxed, and he gets better value from the work of lus employees, who, too, benefit from the shorter hours. There is, moreover, inf reason why as great a turnover should not be experienced in an eight-hour day as in a twelve-hour day. Before the war there was very little regulation iff regard to shopping hours, and it cam not be doubted that henceforth customers will become so used to making purchases at a comparatively early, hour, of the day that traders will be able to continue closing earlier tham foimerlj, and, at the same time, reap as much, benefit.

* • ANOTHER ASPECT. From another point of view the light; ing reduction has pot bceh . it 1 blessing for the value of many excellent window displays is reduced at night owing to the restrictions in force, and although tJio movement for early shopping is rapidly gaining ground, some shopkeepers complain that- they are m case losing custom. They point out that there" are numbers of people, such as business men and women, who shop in the evening from force of circumstances, -and no matter how excellent a window display is, it .will not attract the notice of tho evening shopper unless accompanied by a good lighting scheme. In those areas where the restrictions are. especially stringent, the effect is being felt keenly, and traders are considering ways and means of counteract-, iug tins loss of custom. Ms\hy are finding it of great advantage to ad-; vertiso in the local press so that evening'shoppers may kuow that though lights are low in the windows, the selection of goods in stock is attractive. SELF-PROTECTION FOR CON-; TRACTORS. . Traders who contract with public authorities for the supply of provisions and goods should see that a clause is inserted in the documents protecting, tliev from being penalised for failure to. supply at contract price goods tho prime cost of which was risen considerably! owing to unforeseen circumstances, or when unobtainable. The importance of this was emphasiseG in a recent law case. A provision . merchant contracted with an asylum board to supply for a year sugar of a certain quality at a stated price'. Tho sugar was of German manufacture and, when war broke out was, of course, unobtainable. Sugar of equal quality had to be supplied, but this could be obtained only at a largely enhanced price. M’hen the contract period was ended, the con-; tractor anplied for a re-payment of the extra cost which he had incurred, but this was refused him. On taking the matter to Court the Judge decided against the contractor, ruling that' he could have protected himself by ; introducing a suitable clause; ,he had not done so, and thereby had contracted unconditionally to supply sugar of a certain quality for a period of twelve months, and took the risk of the con-; tract being impossible of fulfilment.

RETURNED “EMPTIES” DIFFI- • CULTY. The question of returning empty packages continues to worry retailers,wholesalers and manufacturer*. .Retailers have, in many instances, been forced to pay rent for extra space in which to store empties—an expenditure which they cannot afford at tho present time, while wholesalers and manfaeturers are put to great trouble when large numbers of crates and cases belonging to them are lying useless in various parts of the country. 1 This trouble is accentuated by the fact that the cost of packing materials lias risen considerably. It would appear that extra expense canot be avoided; under present conditions, so a manufacturer offers the following suggestions. : One. of his customers recently tied to-; gether a number of-empty oil aud vavanish cans and returned them per passenger train at parcel rates. Another returned some largo cases paying or-, dinary goods rate, instead of “empties” rate, and experienced no difficulty in getting the railway company to collect under these terms. In botli cases, the retailers concerned found the method they adopted cheaper than paving extra rent for forage space. It is doubtful, however, yfiiether all railway companies won lev accept such terms. Only recently a large firm of drapers in the provinces waa complaining that as a-railway company, refused to convey certain goods, urgently required, per luggage, the consignor was compelled to send them pet passenger. But the. railway company would not allow the advantage of pari cels rates, and the drapers had to pay an absurdly high price for carriage.