FRUIT PRICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23923, 25 March 1941, Page 8

FRUIT PRICES

housewives critical HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC "it is futile to try to dispose of pears nt ."id a pound. How can poor people buy fruit at this price?" said Sirs. K. I*. Bartleet, president. of the New Zealand Housewives' Association, Yesterday, when commenting upon the efforts of the Internal .Marketing Department to sell surplus truit The subject was one ol great interest for housewives, particularly those ot limited incomes, .Mrs. Hartleet said. Many would like to give fruit to their children every day, hut how could they at the prices charged in tne shops.' .It surelv would be better to retail fruit at lower prices, for then a much larger quantity would be sold, than to Ji' 11111 " tain hi""li prices and allow much ot tlio fruit to rot in the shops and stores. "The people ol New Zealand \\ould eat a "reat deal more fruit than they do if the prices were within reach ot the average person, -Mrs. Jiatfleet continued. "Fruit would help us to maintain or raise the standard of public health. but how can we be expected to eat more fruit under the present system. which may result in great barm to the industry and deprive the people of a valuable food. . . "The Housewives' Association considers that with the restriction placed upon imported foods and the exporting of our own products, and the. everadvancing prices, foods grown in this country should be made available to the public "at more reasonable prices. At the present time much good food is being thrown away. It should not be, and it must be discouraging to the crower to see the result of his labours, expense and care to produce a fine quality article serving no good puipose.''