CEILING PRICES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25209, 13 June 1947, Page 10

CEILING PRICES

CONTROLS ON FRUIT AND VEGETABLES REMOVAL SOUGHT BY MERCHANTS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 12 “There will be no security m trading until ceiling prices are removed. This opinion was expressed by a delegate when the annual conference of the New Zealand Fruit and Produce Merchants’ and Auctioneers’ Federation discussed this subject to-day. - Delegates from many parts of the Dominion gave details of proved cases of black marketings through growers being able to secure prices above the official ceiling by avoiding the sending of supplies through normal channels of distribution. , x It was stated that during the last year the federation’s executive had pursued the objective of the removal of ceiling prices. If ceiling prices were abolished prices, it twas thought, would go up on some lines, but they would soon recede and the public would get the benefit within a week or two. Under present conditions some lines of fruit had completely disappeared from the market. Complaints of black marketing on a large scale had been specifically brought to the notice of the Internal Marketing Division, but no action had followed these serious breaches of the law.

The following resolutions were adopted: “That we support the commercial gardeners in tneir request to the Government that ceiling prices on their produce be abolished, and that we* assure the Government that the public would receive better supplies at reasonable prices if this is done, it being our considered opinion that much fairer distribution would be given than is the case at present under black marketing conditions. “That we express to the new Minister of Marketing (Mr E. L. Cullen) our appreciation of the friendly and fair manner in which he met the federation, and his expression of his desire to co-operate with us in the handling and distribution of fruit and produce. “That we reiterate to the Government our belief that the best interests of New Zealand would be served by the Government, relinquishing, control df fruit and vegetables, and handing this back to private enterprise, and that this be done now while there is a shortage of manpower, and the employees of the Internal Marketing Division could be absorbed in other industries. We offer the Government our co-operation to this end.” Mr H. E. Radley (Christchurch) was elected president, and Mr Harvey Turner (Auckland) vice-president. Members of the executive are Messrs W. A. Donald (Auckland), A. N. Press, E. C. Emeny (Wellington), H. C. Frampton (Christchurch), L. Cockerill (Gore), W C. Reilly (Dunedin), C. H. Slater (Hastings), T. A. N. Corson (Gisborne).