"OUR DAILY BREAD."

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13670, 8 April 1908, Page 2

"OUR DAILY BREAD."

CASH T The New Plymouth Grocers? Associa-* tion recently -discussed the cash v. credit question. Since then several local grocers , fc^e. been, .interviewed r by a Herald representative. "My candid. opinion," said one, "is. that whilst it" is impossible 1 to elimiate credit trading in New Plymouth greater advantages should be given" those who could if sufficient inducement were ojffered purchase for cash. Here is an'.inVfanbe. "jA lady comes into the sjiop and \gityes an order" for ordinary household requirements. The transaction i^^Qcorded and A% the end of the month the lady gets a 2$ per cent, discount. You come in and purchase for cash, and if it is a purchase of only a few shillings you get absolutely no discount. You see the unfairness. I believe that a storekeeper Bhould have two sets of prices--*' |>no' absolutely cash and the other a slightly advanced price, to provide for the risk of credit trading and the (expenses of keeping extra Dooks.*' The jretailer pointed^ oufc ,that this would bossibly induce people 'who at present ran accounts to pay cash. It should make many more thrifty purchasers and thereby be of long-standing benefit !to them. If cash payments were airways made there would be less money, spent on luxuries, as people would know the true state of their exchequer. When a n\an does not _:pay .cash..,- in many instances W does not (mow how ne stands financially. He would have Some cash in hand and perhaps take his wife to the theatre, not fully realising that the money thus spent was Wing- to tradespeople. If that man's. £laily necessaries were purchased for 1 cash he would probably not have the Jknoney in his pocket to buy theatre tickets with. If he had, it would be Iris own. Once a person gets "behind" an his storekeeper's ledger he seldom fcocovers. (This was shown 'to the reporter by reference to^-the ledger.) N« Secision has been arrived at by the jGlrocers' Association yet, but> there is Reason to believe that changes are pending, and the ' new system jjould jprobably be on the lines indicated. I The expressions of. the other grocers interviewed were in agreement. f