TO HOLD MEETINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 100, 29 April 1937, Page 10

TO HOLD MEETINGS.

LOCAL RETAILERS.

REPRESENTATION RIGHTS.

VIEW ON PRO TIT LIMIT.

A special general meeting of members of the Xew Zealand European Fruit and Vegetable Retailers' Association will be held in Auckland next Wednesday to consider the report on the fruit industry as it affects retailers, and until then it is not possible to obtain the precise opinion of the retailers concerning the proposed changes.

Mr. H. G. Staley, secretary of the association, stated this morning that a meeting of the management committee of the assoeiation had been held last evening. It had not been possible, however, to consider the whole position, as they ha<t not had the opportunity as yet to analyse the effects of the repor.t, which wa.i a very voluminous document. Their main decision last-night had baen to write to the Minister, protesting against a proposal that the Wellington Fruit Retailers' Assoeiation should represent' the retailers of New Zealand on the proposed advisory board.

The New Zealand Association they represented was, they considered, the most influential of its type in the Dominion; a body which had shown a progressive spirit in the lines of the Government policy. Mr. Staley instanced that in Auckland his association had agreed to a six o'clock closing, a move which had not yet been taken by the Wellington Association. 11l addition, the Wellington Association did not represent an entirely European opinion, a subject on which the Auckland Association had strong views. Price Fluctuations. Referring to the recommendation that the maximum profit on the wholesale price of fruit, New Zealand-grown, be limited to 33 1-3 per cent, Mr. Staley said that there were factors in opera* tion which made it very difficult for that to be applied. The retailers had not only to consider their fruit, but also their vegetable produce. Owing to the frequent and sudden fluctuations in the price of vegetables, they were often a far from profitable line, and it was considered among retailers that they should be allowed to make \ip losses on vegetables to a certain extent by the profit on fruit, which was more stable in price and in quality. Often, he said, .fruiterers had to carry stocks of certain vegetables which had to be sold at a loss in order that customers might be obljged. For instance, he said, lettuces now' varied between 8/ and 12/ a case. There was not a big demand for them at the present time, yet they had to be carried by fruiterers. He himself had lost 5/ on the sale -pi lettuces in his own shop last Friday.' .

There were a number of matters which would have to be cleared up before the propbsals of the. inquiry committer could be put imto operation with much hope of success. When, for instance, grading and other matters relative toft.the standardisation of fruit had been' completed.- it might be' possible the 33 I*3 per to fruit sold by retailers.