TONGAN BANANAS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 227, 24 September 1943, Page 2

TONGAN BANANAS

CHEAP LANDED COST

EX-OFFICIAL'S PURCHASE

Further support of the contentions of those closely allied with the trade and familiar with Island conditions that excessive prices are being paid for bananas by the public has come from Mr. J. D. Whitcombe, of Auckland, who was for five years a fruit inspector for the Tongan Government and a similar period in the Customs Department in Fiji.

Mr. Whitcombe produced two documents stamped by H.M. Customs, Tonga, covering two purchases of bananas and dated November 15, 1942, and October 3, 1942, respectively. In the first invoice it is shown that 3/6 a case was paid for two cases of Tongan grown green bananas. Added charges were 1/9 as cost of the case, 3d export duty, 4/ freight from Tonga to Auckland, making the landed cost 9/6 a case. Cartage to a Devonport residence worked out at 1/3 a case, making the total cost to the Auckland purchaser 10/9. In regard to the bananas bought by Mr. Whitcombe in October, these were not bought direct from a planter (as were the others) and cost the Government price of 5/ a case, so that the final cost to him was 1/6 higher, namely, 12/3. Mr. Whitcombe has left the Customs stamped invoices at the Star office, where they can be inspected by anyone interested. For over a year the wholesale price of green bananas has been 25/ a case, with prices up to 31/ a case for ripe.

When shown the statement made by Mr. Whitcqmbe to-day, the Minister of Marketing, Mr. Barclay, r>aid he had no further comment to make other than that, as previously stated publicly, the costs of the Department are open for investigation.-