RETAILING FRUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 209, 3 September 1919, Page 14

RETAILING FRUIT.

HDvBUS GETTIXG A HOLD. It is a good number of years since the late Mr. William Crowther, upon returning from his first session of Parliament as representative for an Auckland City constituency, eaid at a meeting that he noticed the fruit trade in Wellington was mostly in the hands of tie Chinese. He added that if Europeams wanted to, keep the fruit trade in their*hands, they: should take care to have as good shows in their windows as did the Chinese in Wellington. In the time that has intervened since rhat warning was uttered, quite a number of fruit shops in and around Auckland have been opened by others than Europeans. Inquiry made by a representative of the Auckland -"Star*" pointed to the fact, however, j that of late Hindus rather than Chinese | were getting into the retailing of fruit; int his city." There are about 200 retail J fruit shops within a radhis of 14 miles of the General Post Office, and of the l .total number there are not more thanj 20 Chinese Arms, -though some have one or two branches. The bulk of the fruit selling- is still in the hands of Europeans in Auckland. I

It was explained hy one gentleman "arg-ely interested in the fruit business tiat there are far too many retail shops for that article of food. The explanation given was that a man iv regular enrploTjnent rented a shop with dwelling attached. The wife opened a fruit business which would not pay, but ior the fact that the family occupied the dwelling attached, and any profit made; on sales 'helped to pay the rent. *"By the way," he added, "in this iparticular connection I am afraid some returned soldiers are making a mistake in buying out shops -of that description, because it is very doubtful if they can make them pay." lAsked if the Chinese made fruit selling a success, the reply was "they are frugal, honeet, industrious, and the windows they keep are a credit to the city."

One wholesale dealer in fruit regretted the fact that there did not iseein much endeavour made in Auckland to encourage the consumption of that article. '"'People buying fruit a few pounds at a time," he said, "never consume as much as when they get it by the case. What I consider is wanted i? that fruit should be put up in smaller •packages j.o encourage .people to bur and carry it-home. Even a 201b ease is more than the average man cares to carry home on the tra.irc*. In America fruit is put up in small packages, which husbands buy and carry home on the cars quick enough. Once fruit is in the "jouse tbere is no danger of it not being eaten, the children will look after that end of the business. Now that returned soldiers are going in for fruitgrowing it is imperative that the public should ibe educated to eat more fruit. Even the habit of housewives making jam seems to have declined latterly, but that may perhaps oe due to the dirncultv in getting jars during the war. It is only during the glut of the season that tlie people rush the auction marts to try and get cheap fruit, but perhaps if pacl-iages were of smaller size there would he more buying at sales for private consumption."'