FRUIT SUPPLIES

GREEN BANANAS

ORANGES BY THE POUND

The price and supply of bananas, oranges, lemons, and other fruit were discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday when the estimates of the Internal Marketing Division were being considered.

Mr. H. T. Morton (National, Waitemata) said a ship arrived in Auckland recently with a record low shipment of 6000 cases of bananas, the cargo representing about one-quarter of the .ship's capacity. Instead of bringing sufficient bananas to fill the vessel's hold empty beer bottles took up the space.

Mr. Morton said the position was that the growers considered they were not getting sufficient for their produce from the Internal Marketing Department. That, was the reason for the shortage.

Another question raised by Mr. Morton was the method of selling oranges. He wanted to know why they were retailed by the pound. A purchaser bought a pound for lid and did not know how many he would get for the money until they were weighed. The island growers were far from being content with the price they were receiving for their fruit—oranges, bananas, and pineapples. Considerable business at one time was done with Tonga, but the trade had shifted to Australia. The growers there would not tolerate the New Zealand market* ing system, under which they received 5s a case for bananas which were retailed at 7d a lb. - Eeferring to the standardisation of banana prices in New Zealand, Mr. Morton asked why the same system was not applied to fruit produced in Central Otago, such as apricots. LARGE AND SMALL ORANGES. Discussing the sale of oranges by the pound, Miss M. B. Howard (Government, Christchurch East) said that one might, without that system, buy four large oranges for a shilling from some shops and four small oranges for a shilling from other shops. Most shopkeepers played the game; but the only way to get those who did not was to buy by the pound. On the topic of bananas, she said that for some time past the bananas that had arrived in the Dominion had been completely green. She had tried every means to ripen them, but. without success. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo): Quite right—they're filthy. Miss Howard continued that a Chinese fruiterer from whom she was buying bananas told her they could not be ripened without a proper ripener. What was the good of putting them on to the consumer when they were absolutely 'wasted? Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford): They would ripen if they had been brought in on the stem. . Miss Howard: I do not know what way they are brought in, but I think it's the job of the Internal Marketing Division to put fruit that is able to be eaten on to the market. Mr. J. Thorn (Government, Thames) said in reply to Mr. Morton that; if* it was reasonable to sell bananas by the pound in Auckland, a practice that had | been in operation for years, there could surely be no objection to selling oranges by the pound. There was j no fairer method of selling fruit, and that was why the system had been adopted. Resolutions .passed by, various organisations congratulating the division showed that it was doing good work. Did the Opposition wish to break down the Internal Marketing Division and restore the Rafferty rules of marketing so that advantage could be taken of the war situation to ex- ■ ploit the consumer? MINISTER'S REPLY. The Minister (Mr. Roberts) said the Dominion obtained from the Islands all the bananas it could and the growers were receiving the highest prices they had ever received. So far as green bananas were concerned, there was

no other way of distributing the fruit throughout New Zealand without loss. Oranges were sold by the pound in Great Brtiain, and it was a good principle to follow. If anyone wanted to buy by the count he could do so and he could pay by the pound.