APPEAL FOR: CO-OPERATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23689, 22 December 1938, Page 8

APPEAL FOR: CO-OPERATION

STATEMENT BY MINISTER (I'eb United Press association) WELLINGTON. Dec. 21. In a statement to-day the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr D. G. Sullivan) referred to the pharmacy regulations as gazetted to-day. "I announced earlier in the year." said Mr Sullivan, "that the Industrial Plan prepared by the Bureau of Industry under the Industrial Efficiency Act for the reorganisation of the pharmacy industry had been accepted by more than 90 per cent, cf the retail pharmacists throughout the Dominion. For the purpose of carrying out the proposals in the plan. I announced some time ago my appointment of the members of the Pharmacy Plan. Industrial Committee constituted in accordance with the proposals set out in the plan and representative of the Government and all sections of the industry. This committee has done a considerable amount of preliminary work and the regulations now oublished provide the necessary authorty for the committee to carry out its work. The powers given to the committee in the regulations are necessary to give effect to the proposed powers and functions of the committee as set out in the plan and approved by the industry. " So far as the licence fee and levy are concerned, it will be observed that the scale set out in the regulations provides for considerably lower amounts than provided for in the plan. The plan provided for an annual levy of £lO per pharmacy per annum, plus an additional £1 per annum for each £SOO of sales turnover in excess of £SOOO, but, after carefully investigating the matter, the Industrial Committee has satisfied me that the lower scale would return a sufficient revenue for the administration and expenditure

involved. Accordingly, the committee has recommended the scale now approved by the Government. " In the regulations it will be seen that the levy is a graduated one. which will mean that smaller pharmacies will now pay only £5 or £6 per shop, according to turnover. The Bureau of Industry will be communicating individually with all pharmacies as soon as possible, informing them of the procedure to be followed in lodging applications for licences, so that, meanwhile, no action will be necessary on the part of those engaged in the industry." In conclusion, Mr Sullivan stated that the Government and the Bureau of Industry had made every possible endeavour to assist pharmacists to rehabilitate their industry "I appeal to all pharmacists on their part," said Mr Sullivan, "to extend that measure of co-operation to their Industrial Committee which will enable it to administer the regulations' to the best advantage of the industry. I believe the basis is laid in the regulations for greatly improved conditions in the retail pharmacy industry, and. in my opinion, a new and better era is dawning for the pharmacists of our Dominion."