10 THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER auZi seus

CONSUMER PROTECTION

A. GARGRAVE, MLA.

It is important that we have
a greater regard for the qual-
ity of our daily lives. It is im-
portant that the consumer be
protected and informed to en-
able him to avoid fraudulent
practices and make _ wise

selections in the market place.

The common law rule of
“caveat-emptor” (let the
buyer beware) is not broad
enough to govern business af-
fairs in a society which prides
itself on being one of the most
affluent on earth.

The Dominion Bureau of
Statistics reports that total
loans to consumers by finance
companies and retailers in-
creased from $1,968 million in
1957 to $2,253 million in 1960.
This is big business worthy
of a provincial government’s
attention.

Areas of Protection

1. A Consumers’ Council
should be incorporated by an
act of the Legislature, but
operating independent of gov-
ernment. The object of this

THE WESTERN CANADIAN

Consumers’ Council should
be to disseminate information,
police certain statutes and en-
able consumers to make in-
formed choices.

2. We should legislate to
minimise high pressure door
to door selling by establishing
a cooling off period and li-
censing and bonding of all off-
premises salesmen.

3. Establish by legislation
an offence of false advertising.

4. Enact an interest rate
disclosure act.

5. Conditional sale con-
tracts should be standardized
by law.

6. The Provincial govern-
ment should encourage the
dissemination of facts about
the comparative quality of
products. This can be
achieved through subsidising
Consumer Report organiza-
tions. ;

7. We should insist on ac-
curate and informative label-
ling of all packaged products.
The housewife should not
have to compare grams with
ounces in deciding whether a
“Giant Economy Size” is in
fact more expensive per ounce
than smaller packages.

8. Existing legislation needs
to be more aggressively ap-
plied through police investi-
gation into ordinary fraudu-
lent pedlars and confidence
men who defraud household-
ers with promises to perform
house repairs or sell inferior
goods having grossly puffed
prices.

9. Unpaid workers need ad-
vice and protection in the col-
lection of wages. This can be
provided by bonding and/or
legal aid and service.

10. The certification of the
safety of used cars by licensed
retailers when they are sold
to members of the public.

LUMBER ™ WORKER

Published twice monthly as the official publication of the a<7>+
INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS OF AMERICA,
Western Canadian Regional Council No. 1, Affiliated with AFL-CIO-CLC

2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C,

per year.

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r . Fred Fieber
.. G. A. Spencer

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