CHAIN STORES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20532, 25 September 1936, Page 11

CHAIN STORES

INQUIRY ADJOURNED FURTHER TALK OF VICTIMISATION By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON. September 24. Before the Parliamentary Committee inquiring into the question of chain stores adjourned. Mr A. D. Wylie, the promoter of the petition against chain stores, said that he had decided, if he was not called upon to attend, that he did not propose to appear at any further meetings of the committee. One of the largest firms in Wellington that had signed the petition had been approached, and threatened with victimisation. Mr Watson: Will you give us the name? Mr Wylie: I will give the names to the committee. He contended that an organised effort was being made to fight the petition. The chairman said that the committee was quite impartial, and the inquiry had reached a stage where the committee desired evidence. He ask.ed Mr Wylie if he could call representatives of the various trades concerned. Mr Wylie replied that traders he had approached to give evidence had been afraid of victimisation. He definitely would not call any evidence in the meantime. Answering a question by Mr Robertson 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 felt that he was not getting justice from the press reports. The chairman said that if Mr Wylie had any objections to the reporters being present he should have raised them when the inquiry started. The inquiry adjourned till Wednesday,