SCOTTISH GROCERS’ PLAN

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1931, Page 9

SCOTTISH GROCERS’ PLAN

RELIEF FROM BUTTER SALES. The grocery trade in Britain lost little time in expressing practical sympathy with the loss suffered by New Zealand in the Hawke’s Bay earthquake. The British Grocers’ Federation contributed £lO9 12s 6d to the High Commissioner’s fund. The Scottish Grocers’ Federation, at its biennial meeting in February, proposed an original plan to help the earthquake sufferers. It was agreed to push the sale of New Zealand products, and, further, provided the multiple shops came in, to increase the price of New Zealand butter by one penny per lb., which would go to a relief fund along with a halfpenny from the retailer himself for every lb. of New Zealand butter he sold. . The chairman said that, in view of the terrible suffering, which would follow from the earthquake for a long ? time, he thought it would be rather a friendly gesture on their part if they gave prominence to New Zealand produce, such as butter, _ honey, etc. Some thousands of families in New Zealand would be absolutely ruined, and if they could push their goods at this time it would redound to their credit. The secretary suggested that the federation might go further and ask the public to pay a penny a pound more i for New Zealand butter for six weeks, the proceeds to go into a relief fund, and the grocer to contribute a halfpenny for every pound sold. He would give every grocer participating a certificate for display in his window. He thought there were great possibilities in the scheme. The amount of New Zealand butter sold in Glasgow must be enormous. New Zealand butter and New Zealand produce would receive an advertisement such as it never received before.

A member said his difficulty was that he believed 75 per cent, of the New Zealand butter was sold by multiple shops at a price at which the private grocer could not buy it. Unless they could get them to come in it was absolute’/ hopeless. It was agreed that the multiple shop organisations should be approached. Up to the present no information his reached New Zealand concerning the outcome of the scheme.