MORE COMPLAINTS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 199, 24 August 1942, Page 4

MORE COMPLAINTS

VEGETABLE MARKET

RATIONING ADVOCATED Dissatisfaction concerning the marketing of root crops, kumaras and pumpkins, which are subject to fixed maximum prices, continues to be expressed by greengrocers, who contend that a rationing system should be introduced immediately.

Allegations were made that certain shops in the city and suburbs had last week received supplies of kumaras which were denied to other retailers. Some shopkeepers say they have been buying carrots, turnips and parsnips by the bag, and have discovered on opening them that the vegetables carried a fair quantity of green top. Their customers, however, refused to accept the green tcps when the roots were weighed. This meant that the retailer had to bear a loss of one-third of his cost price. One man estimates that after removing 21b of dirt, cracked and small carrots, he lost altogether 111b" weight in a sugar bag. He said he did not blame the grower, who had to accept the maximum price and was trying to make the best of a bad bargain.

The opinion that rcot crops, kumaras and pumpkins should be apportioned to retailers on the same basis as bananas and oranges was advanced by another retailer. "It would be a simple matter to introduce rationing," he claimed. "Under existing conditions distribution is most unequal and some retailers are consistently favoured."