VICTIMISATION FEARS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 9

VICTIMISATION FEARS

CHAIN STORES INQUIRY

THREATS ALLEGED

OPPONENTS OF PETITION

(Pel- Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, last night. Before the committee of the House of Representatives adjourned to-day, Mr. A. D. Wylie, promoter of the petition asking for protection against chain stores, said lie had decided if be was not called upon to attend, that he did not propose to appear at any further meetings oi the committee. One oi the largest, films in Wellington that signed the petition had been approached and threatened with victimisation.

Mr. G. Watson: Will you give us the name?

Mr. Wylie: I will give the names to the committee.

Mr. Wylie contended that an organised effort was being made to tight the petition. The chairman said that the committee was quite impartial, and the inquiry had reached a stage where the committee desired evidence. lie asked Mr. Wylie if lie could call representatives of (lie various trades concerned.

Mr. Wylie replied that the traders he had approached, to give evidence had been afraid of victimisation, lie definitely would not- call any evidence in the meantime.

Answering a question by Mr. J. Robertson asi to whether Mr. Wylie was withdrawing from the proceedings altogether, Mr. Wylie said he had prepared the petition and had presented it to Parliament. He had given evidence in support of it, and he fejt that he was not getting justice from the press reports. The chairman said that if Mr. Wylie had any objections to reporters being present, ho should have raised them when the inquiry started. The inquiry was then adjourned till Wednesday.