DISTRIBUTION OF GIFTS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1930, Page 7

DISTRIBUTION OF GIFTS

COUPON SYSTEM ATTACKED. The gift system used by some traders was described as unmoral by Mr. M. M. Heinemann at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Heinem in said several traders were suffering by the system whereby gifts were given the collectors of cigarette coupons. Fancy goods dealers, watchmakers and jewellers were being adversely affected, and jewellers in particular had lost many sales as a result of these prizes being awarded. One firm alone dlsHbuted 30 men’s watches and 60 ladies’ watches each week. The matter was a serious one. The secretary said .the South African Chamber of Commerce had recently

passed a resolution disapproving of the system. Mr. A. Jacobs intimated that the practice was unlawful in Australia. Mr. Heinemann said many tobacconists in New Zealand were against the principle. It was decided that the following remit be forwarded to the annual conference of associated chambers:— “That this conference deprecates the growth of gift systems which interfere with other trades; while there can be little objection io a discount or rebate system whereby a client is refunded (a) in cash when he is free to make his purchases through the ordinary channels of trade, or (b) in kind in the form of similar goods that are the manufacture of the wholesale distributor. There are serious effects felt by traders, when extraneous articles ate joffjfed uiider Jihese