IN THE PUBLIC MIND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 106, 6 May 1943, Page 4

IN THE PUBLIC MIND

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

APPLES AND ASTRONOMY

To The Editor

Years ago political-power-intoxi-cated Labour leaders jubilantly declared the sky to be the limit of Socialist factional legislation of the future. Well, we can see the stars in their billions twinkling these glorious nights; but if anyone can see a twinkle of righteousness in State control of apples and such, as the law operates to-day, he must indeed be a super astronomer and visionary. Easter Saturday at a Henderson orchard I bought for one shilling a sugarsack full of Jonathan apples. Second-grade, certainly, but all usable fruit. Indeed, the shed was loaded with fruit of the kind which could neither be pooled, auctioned nor sold to shopkeepers. Look round the retail fruit shops to-day and see how many lines of fruit and vegetables are price-marked according to grade—bananas, melons, figs, grapes, guavas, persimmons, peaches, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflowers, beet, swedes, lettuce, pumpkin, etc. What, under the same idiotic law, would happen to any business to-day such as drapery, mercery, grocery, ironmongery, and so on, if only the very highest grade goods were permitted to be sold? Every commercial house would be faced with instant bankruptcy! The irony of it all is that this monstrosity comes from the political party which guaranteed adequate production and distribution for all. And the supreme and tragic joke of it that the idea of internal marketing came , from Labour's greatest enemies. It was a great conspiracy against the small growers which has reacted as I (a small grower) predicted when warned of it years ago. J. KNIGHT.

The condemned apples case has aroused the interest of a large section of public opinion against the Marketing Department's rejection of good, eatable fruit. This latest official action rounds off a period of high prices and shortage in fruit that is unwarranted by war conditions. For the prevention of further actions of a like nature, it is now necessary that representatives be nominated from farmers, fruit and public welfare organisations, etc., who would act in conjunction with the Marketing Department and assist in the protection of the fruit producers and the public's interests. The hectic and increasing advance of centralised bureaucracy in food disposal has not been satisfactory, including as it does the erection of costly buildings and high salaries. High prices of produce and this latest rejection of apples are evidence that experiments in State ownership and control are not in the public interest. N. W. MATHEWS.