HELD IN STORAGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 81, 5 April 1940, Page 4

HELD IN STORAGE.

JAMAICAN ORANGES, ALTHOUGH SUPPLIES SHORT. i MR. NASH EXPLAINS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, thie day. The .Minister of Marketing, the Hon. \\". Xasb, stated to-day that his attention had been called to statements in connection with, the orange shortage made by Mr. George Paul, of Auckland. Mr. Paul, he aaid, asked why 300 cases of oranges had been hold in storage when there was a shortage due to shipping delays. Mr. Nash explained that the Internal Marketing Division had retained this small reserve to meet the special needs of the Defence Department, hospital supplies and other emergency requirements. "I announced a few weeice ago the reasons for the temporary shortage of oranges,*' added Mr. Xaeh, "and I would like to make it clear that under wartime conditions the exact date of arrival of ships is not known even to the officials of the Internal Marketing Division. Certain delays and incouveni- ' ence with shipping arrangements arts unavoidable and these were, the sole reason for the genuine shortage that existed. Mr. Paul suggested that supplies of oranges were available in Wellington last week and not in Auckland, but there has been no discrimination in regard to the distribution arrangements. In times of shortage orange supplies are distribnted to the various districts in proportion to the percentages in which they are distributed when ample supplies are available. These proportions are fairly closely correlated to the population percentages and there is absolutely no possibility of one centre being supplied to the detriment of another. Keference is made by Mr. Paul to an extra charge of 2/0 a case for oranges out of • storage at Auckland recently. His statement that this cannot be passed on to the public is not strictly correct, as orange prices are regulated on a percentage basis and it is at the discretion of the. retailer whether he adjusts his prices at or under the percentage permitted by Che regulation. In newspaper comment upon Mr. Paul's statement it is stated the oranges were last year's crop, but this ie incorrect. The oranges referred to were tbis season's Jamaican."