RETAILERS' ASSOCIATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16231, 29 March 1917, Page 9

RETAILERS' ASSOCIATION.

GENERAL MEETING. . A general meeting of th<s Timaru Retailers' Association was hdd last night-, present—ftfossrs J; W. Suiter, president (in tiie chair), and about 40members. . Tlio principal business of the meeting was the adoption of rules. The rules of. the Napier Retailers 1 Association were taken as a guide, and after consideration, feei-iatini thesis Wsere adopted with sohie Slight alterations. The subscription feds ai-<j as follows. Employers with niJ or. only one assistant ss, two assistants 7a 6d. three to four assistants lOs, five assist" ants 15s, over five 20s per animm. in the event .Of & Special levy liaving to be rnaide, it wa§ tha.t this must not exceed 50 per cent, of thfe ineinbersliip fee. ' There is .to be a .president and committee' of eiglit, to be elected annually, to manage the affairs of the Association. It was decided ; that the secretary should be appointed at the annual meeting, or at a special general meeting called for that purpose, liis salary also to be fised at such meeting. Sir Henry Scott ivas unanimously appointed, 'Secretary and treasurer, lxis liemtoferation being fixed, at £26 per annum, the secretary to supply a room lor committee meetings. - The .executive. comuiittoe fcoiiaSsig of .the following ;—Messrs J.. AY. S'outer, V' B ye r s, G. T. Dawson. C. Cameron, Wi O. G-. SnoWj AY. AV. Smith. 14. F. Provah, It. Lowrv. and It. Scoift. J • ■ ■ . ' ■ ■ . ' Jt i was decidfed not xo close oii ; Easter Saturday. . F. AYatSOii said he thought that tif the Association. Bhtiuld all work_ togetlier and support oniein business. suggestion of boycotting those wlio did not belattg' to ffie Association. _ A took place as to -what day the Anaiic celelirations Bliould be held on, and it wds decided finally tofall m with tlie wisli of the isdidiers tliat the. celebrations altdulcflie lield oil April 25. A question was asked as to Svhetlier it, would be. necessary: to close on tlie llrarsday of week. There was a difference of opinion oil the point, and it was finally lefi to tho executive tomake itujuines. Mr Hurdley .expressed regret that the business -people bt Timaru did not takte a greater interest in their town; aud he instanced the lack oif intei-est m the coming . municipal elections as an evideuice of this. Ho thought it was mucli to be deplored. . Another-member said he tlipught that one of the activities of .tlie Retojli t>rs' Aissooatioii should bo iri tte of lookmtc tijj candidates for the Borough Oouncil: i Mr Pem-cse; said tliut members of the i Bca-ough Council -usually sat for n.bout twelve months and were then ;/la.d to got out: The Council now required aKftut £IOO,OOO to put the >roads |in order, and other &mbunts w£re reI quired bringing th etotal vid to abouti £500,000.. , Undek- those e.rcumstances i when men Avfere asked, to stand for-the- | Council they declined. , i 3lf Younfj jvished to bring up a mati tor m connection n-itli the Cash Purcliase Association, but the president i said lt-diad -bean agreed that tlie 11- ; ninifu ;Ro'tut;lers' Association should not in any way interfere in methods o"f conducting business: . -If tliev diet: do so •:it -\vas a rock bn- "which thev would ' split. ' ' ■ ■ ' - •lb -was seated vJiat thepresent defi,ilite membership of the Association is •00:. Tlifei president said this .was a verv . t'ood start, and he had no doubt but ithat it would !)e substantially added to. It was calculated _thnt the membership would increase td 120.