INTERNAL MARKETING DIVISION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24074, 9 October 1943, Page 6

INTERNAL MARKETING DIVISION

SirMr D. Robertson says that beekeepers should not make more than a bare living during war time. Perhaps he will agree that it is not unreasonable to expect to receive the stabilised price. Beekeepers are Willing to accept stabilisation: (which prevents undue profit) and are agreeable to the price order in so far as ordinary honey is concerned. What we do, object to and any ' reasonably-minded person . would also, is that after tl>e- price has been stabilised, the. Internal Marketing Division commandeers 70 per cent., asks us to pack it and directs us where to send it; and for that service deducts from the producer 12J per cent, from the stabilised price, which is Is 3.3d pei' dozen lb, leaving from the 10s 3d a dozen fixed wholesale price 8.97 d per lb. Packing costs allowed as reasonable by the Internal Marketing Division amount to 3.57 d, leaving the producer s.4d.—Yours; etc., T. F. PENROSE. LeCston, October 7; 1943.

Sir.—l challenged your correspondent Mr Robertson on his statement that “all primary producers were amply paid for quality products,” and stated that honey producers’ returns through the Internal Marketing Division gave only a bare living, if that. The question whether we should expect better treatment than that in war time was not raised, and even Mr Robertson can scarcely claim that “a bare living if that” can be termed “amply repaid.”— Yours, etc., NOT AMPLY REPAID. October 7, 1943.