CO-OPERATIVE PLAN IS A PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 January 1947, Page 6

CO-OPERATIVE PLAN IS A PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT

VIEW OF RETAILERS’ PRESIDENT REPLIED TO <P-A.) Wellington, Jan. 30. “The Consumers’ Co-operative Organisation in Eastern Hutt Valley is referred to by the secretary of the New Zealand Retailers' Federation (Mr. Riley) as a monopoly. The real danger of a monopoly is exploitation of the consumer and under the consumer co-operative system it is impossible for exploitation to take place," said the piesident of the Hutt Valley Consumers’ Co-operative Society (Mr. J. S. Berry) to-day. Mr. Berry pointed out that the consumers themselves had democratic control of the system, and they would benefit from anv profits accruing from the movement. He could see no reason why the secretary 01 the Retailers’ Federation should be extremely concerned, unless it was that the retailers wished to maintain an individual and collective monopoly through their federation.

“The co-operative movement is a people’s movement, and surely the people themselves have, every right to decide this matter for themselves, without unsolicited outside interference,” Mr. Berry said. The co-opera-tie movement, he added, was satisfied it could stand on its own feet. It was in line with the expressed wishes of the community and the nolicy being adopted would make possible the provision and maintenance of social, educational and recreational services in the area.