CASH. ON DELIVERY-

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20743, 14 June 1929, Page 6

CASH. ON DELIVERY-

A PROTEST. (From Odr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, April 25. In a letter to The Times Mr Rowland Stimsobj chairman of the Traders’ Committee, Imperial C.O.D. Association, expresses the, hope that the New Zealand Government will reconsider its decision to abolish the cash-on-delivery system under which overseas parcels are imported through the Post Office. “The explanation given by Sir Joseph Ward,” says Mr Stimson, “is that the system made the Post Office an agent in trade exceeding £150,000 a year, and thus a great deal of work , ordinarily undertaken by small traders was imposed on it. It is difficult to understand, why a C.O.D. transaction should be more onerous on a Post Office than a cash-with-order transaction. C.O.D. puts less clerical work on the Post Office, as the sender of a_ C.O.D. parcel makes out the trade charge order, which correspond% with a money order. On the other hand, a money order sent in advance is made out by postal clerks. To abolish such a necessary and successful service is to close an avenue which supplies many novel f and original wants not to be obtained in the colonies in the.first instance. It appears that Sir Joseph Ward is being prevailed upon by uninstructed traders and manufacturers in New Zealand to commit an economic blunder, chiefly on the ground that C.O.D. is a success. It is the colonial storekeeper who ultimately benefits by the enterprise of his wonld-be customer, who, seeing an article advertised in an English publication, probably introduces jt to his own colony, and this creates a demand on’ th& spoot. It is unreasonable to think that the customer would order his requirements from Homo if obtainable at a fair price locally. “ Hero we have the British Post Office, the Imperial Marketing Board, and tho Imperial C.O.D. Association all out to popularise Dominion products, and C.O.D, services have been gradually opened with a large number of the Grown colonics, also to France, Belgium, Holland, the Scandinavian countries, and a number of other States, Within these limits it is successful and expanding rapidly. Nearly 300,000 C.O.D. parcels of a value of £750,000 arc despatched abroad each year, and some 10,000 arc received from abroad. , Thus there is plenty of scope and encouragement for Now Zealand to reciprocate and send r C.O.D, parcels into this country, where we have thousands of consumers who could gladly pay the postman C.O.D. for a package of New Zealand products. These should be advertised in British newspapers, as .we have millions of poten* tial buyers hero if the right goods are offered at the right price. Here is an opportunity for our kinsmen overseas to show their enterprise.”