CHEAP FISH PLANNED

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28742, 13 November 1958, Page 13

CHEAP FISH PLANNED

j Sale At Open Market (New Zealana Press Association) WELLINGTON. November 12. A Paremata man who wants to erect a small building for the sale of fish in the open market in Wellington, said tonight that if Wellington wholesale fish merchants “ganged up” on him or on fishermen who had undertaken to supply him. he would immediately buy a trawler and two groper boats and look after the supply himself.

He criticised an anonymous wholesaler who commented on his scheme today, saying that the wholesaler had issued “a direct threat amounting to intimidation” to some west coast fishermen.

The Paramata man, Mr J. Thorpe, a former fisherman, outlined his plan to a meeting of the Wellington Housewives’ Association yesterday. The association welcomed the scheme as a means of providing the housewife with more and cheaper fish. Mr Thorpe proposes to attend tomorrow's meeting of the Wellington City Council and seek a hearing. The wholesalers commented: “If everybody adopted Mr Thorpe’s scheme, who is going to finance the fishermen, who at present rely to a large extent on the wholesalers?”

Mr Thorpe replied: ‘‘l can say this quite definitely, if there is any more trouble with wholesalers or retailers, I will immediately obtain a trawler and two groper boats of my own. This scheme is going through. “Something has to be done, in the interests of both the public and the industry. My scheme may begin a change for the | better.”