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Lesson For Victoria

Auckland University Bookshop Blues

"Universities throughout the world have found it necessary to have a special bookshop. The business is too big to be part of any other commercial venture."

This is the opinion of Mr. John Griffin, of the University Bookshop in Dunedin.

His firm is engaged in a partnership with the Auckland University Students' Association in operating an Auckland University bookshop.

The financial investment of Auckland Students' Association in this bookshop has been given as one of the reasons for Auckland's budget-paring attitude at NZ-USA's Easter Council.

The Students' Association is to find £5000 as its share of the bookshop company's capital. This is a major portion of the Auckland association's annual income of £9000 from membership fees.

The Auckland fee, the lowest in New Zealand, is £5, and £3 from this goes into a Building Fund.

Auckland's Treasurer at the time, Brian Woolf, has stated that it is not intended that the full capital be called up immediately, but rather over a period of years.

However, it is understood that the establishment of the Auckland bookshop will be an expensive process. Mr. Griffin has pointed out that the Dunedin shop of University books carries a stock valued at £20,000.

Initial steps in the scheme came about when Minerva Books Ltd of Auckland approached Auckland President, Tony Katavich. The firm wished to open a branch in Princes Street, but had been refused permission by the Town Planning Authority.

In October of last year, Auckland executive approved in principle the formation of a bookselling company, and favoured some form of association with Minerva. An attempt to call an SGM on the matter flopped.

Auckland executive then resolved on negotiation with Minerva.

At this stage University Bookshop expressed interest, and in December Auckland association representatives heard the University Bookshop's case.

University Bookshop Ltd is a subsidiary company of Whitcombe & Tombs Ltd, but has its own board of directors. "The connection with Whitcombes is a financial connection and not an administrative one," Mr. Griffin commented.

The Auckland representatives recommended that a company should be formed in association with the University Bookshop. This was in contrast to the proposal from Minerva of a percentage of profits.

Attached to the report of the Association's representatives was an analysis of "Advantages in forming a bookshop with Whit-combe and Tombs". Auckland paper Outspoke gave its contents as follows:

1. The ability and experience of Whitcombes in the bookselling field is not equalled by any other firm.

2. The University Bookshop with which we will be directly associated, is even more particularly experienced with University book-selling and its needs and problems.

3. Whitcombes have approximately 70 to 80 per cent of the University book trade at present and they do not intend to lose it. Therefore, if we formed a bookshop with any other firm, Whitcombes may do their utmost to break us. In fact, they have already arranged for a man to come from Britain to manage the University bookshop. They had previously arranged for this man to manage the university bookshop they were going to set up themselves. They have scrapped this plan now, however, in favour of our combined scheme.

4. Whitcombes have their own credit facilities in London, which are better than any other bookseller in New Zealand. Our bookshop hopes to be able to use these facilities.

The report also pointed out that Whitcombes have extensive printing facilities, that should import licensing come again, Whitcombes would get larger licences, and that "should the bookshop strike any difficult patches, Whitcombes with its complex resources will be more able to help us out than any other firm."

University Bookshop declined, however, to run a bookshop from the beginning of the year, mainly on the grounds of stock and staff shortages. Whitcombes themselves ran a temporary bookshop to fill the gap.

Sharp antagonism arose at Auckland as a result. The bookshop took over facilities previously used as a women's common room, and at least in the initial stages could not offer a full range of text books.

"In view of the student feeling about the poor quality of Whit-combe's service and the fact that the student body has not yet given its consent to the expenditure of student money on a bookshop at all," Craccum commented at the time, "the Association might have been better to forgo the temporary shop."

Auckland Executive claim wide benefits for students from the venture. These include superior service, greater convenience, savings for the Association on publication and general running expenses, and eventually cheaper text books.

Profits from student book purchases will accrue to the Association, and it is claimed that these will enable the Students' Association fee to remain the lowest in New Zealand, permit an increase in student activities, and allow the Student Union Building to be paid off in a relatively short time.