TOMATOES SOAR!

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 121, 24 May 1941, Page 7

TOMATOES SOAR!

ONE CASE NETS £32 10/ ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Tomatoes selling for £32 10/ a case and hothouse grapes for £23 10/ a case! Such prices, obtained at the first patriotic auction at the city markets yesterday might well constitute a Price Tribunal official's nightmare. But it was all for a good cause, and to say the auction was a magnificent success is putting it mildly. Sacks and sacks of vegetables, boxes of fruit and produce piled high, a profusion of picked flowers, honey, pickles—there they were galore at Turners and Grower's auction room yesterday, and everything had been donated by the producers, while the auctioneers and staff gave their services free of charge. It was the first of four sales to be held at the various fruit and produce firms in the near future. and almost everything was cleared at record values within two hours. Three auctioneers yelled themselves hoarse on the rostrum, and enthusiasm mounted high. Manv successful bidders immediatelv placer! the poods they had securer! on the market again, with the result that a case of tomatoes grown and donated by Mr. C. \V. Austin, of St. Helier's, brought in a total of 132 10/, the final purchaser paving £~, ."•/' In the case of the grapes", given bv Mr. R. B. Todd, of Olahuhu. which made £23 10/. the final price paid was £8. Those were among the -tops." but other merchandie<? changed hands at prices almost a= ihigh. ! Chinese retailers as we 1 .! a~ Chinese growers were, as usual, ex Itremely generous, and took ih<[keenest interest in the whole pro 'ceedings. Big crowds milled arounc ithe auctioneers, and the genera .impression on entering the mom wathat it was feeding time at the zoo I It is expected the •Tightinf 'Mothers' Fund." as one mark«*i gardener called iu will benefit to the jextent of between £300 and £il»n a: * .result ol the auction.