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

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