OPEN MARKETS FOR PRODUCE

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27736, 13 August 1955, Page 3

OPEN MARKETS FOR PRODUCE

CHANGE IN POLICY WELCOMED COMMENT BY HOUSEWIVES’ UNION < I 1 s “I do not see how any of the powers i that be in this city can prevent the I establishment of a market in Christ- c church,” said Mrs M. E. Fury, presi- J dent of the Canterbury Housewives’ » Union, when she commented on an .< announcement by the Minister of Ag- 8 riculture (Mr K. J. Holyoake) that the } Cabinet has approvedthe preparation 1 •of regulations to permit the licensing . of growers to sell their own fruit at ’ properly-authorised municipal mar- 3 The Minister said he had discussed . the position arising from the opening , of a municipal market in Wellington, ] with the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, the Applp and Pear Marketing Board, and the Wellington i Housewives’ Association. They had i considered the possibility of the situation being met by an amendement to I the Apple and Pear Marketing Regulations. ' Mrs Furey said she thought the announcement was “very good.” On Tuesday, the committee of her union would meet fruit growers. If they proposed to co-operate, there would be a deputation to the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.). She had heard that a small , syndicate intended to start a market in Papanui, but this would not solve anything, said Mrs Furey. “It has got to be under municipal control . . . there should be no middle man,” she said. “If there were any profit, it would reduce rates.” There were markets all over England, France and Australia, she said. They meant quick sales and quick turnover. They meant' small profite and quick returns. “In the open jmarket, you know you get something , fresh, and you get better prices,” said Mrs Furey. There would be definite marketing hours, she said. If the housewife forgot to purchase. her requirements from the market, she would have to make her last-minute purchases at the corner store. She would have to pay for her stupidity of forgetting. Fruitgrowers’ Views ■ The president of the Fruitgrowers’t Association (Mr W. G. Mottram) told i “The Press” that though he would not ; qpmment on the policy of the assotfiai tion, he did not personally think the . scheme would be of great importance i in Christchurch.' Unlike other cities, I there were orchards close to the town. ; The grbwer near Christchurch could - sell produce at his orchard. ■- - ; Because of the light crop this year, 1 most growers had sold without diffi- ■ culty, he said. Some sold all their ‘ crops at the orchard; others sold most of the crop at the orchard; and some . packed their fruit for the Marketing r Board. I Growers further away from Christj church might be interested in a muni- » cipal market, said Mr. Mottram. Open markets will be discussed at I a meeting of the Auckland City Coun- . cil next week. The council will have c on its order paper a notice of motion . from Cr. V. J. Chapman asking it to , set up a special sub-committee to re--3 port on the question. 1 Cr. Chapman was elected to the i council as a member of the United j Independents, whose election policy * was “to provide a small open market • for the sale of fresh fruit and vege- > tables direct from grower to con--1 sumer.”