ILLEGAL SALES OF APPLES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 7

ILLEGAL SALES OF APPLES

£4 To £35 Fines In Auckland (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 29. There had been a “lamentable lack of appreciation'’ by the Apple and Pear Marketing Board for the consumer, said Mr J. B. Sinclair in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court. There had been a record crop of apples last year, but the local retailers had been left with insufficieht apples for the whole season while the board blandly went oh With overseas exports and showed a loss of £500,000. Mr Sinclair was appearing for a fruiterer who admitted buying fruit in breach of the Apple and Pear Marketing Regulations. It seemed somewhat amazing that this country had a record crop and yet had to import apples from Canada for release last December, he said. This showed some grave lack of foresight by the board. Retailers could not get a fraction of what they Wanted from the board. The consumer demanded fresh and adequate fruit in their stores ait all times. “The retailers have been compelled by the shortcomings of. the board to 'seek fruit where they can get it,”) he added. Mr G. Smith, of Wellington, who prosecuted for. the board, said it was noticeable that the greatest' number of detected offences took place in the Auckland area. This was caused partly because of the wide growing area and-partly because of the mutual attraction to growers and retailers of cash payments. Magistrate’s View “I don’t intend to enter upon an examination of the board’s policy,” said Mr F. McCarthy, S.M. “The act has been in force sirice 1948, and its basis is an orderly marketing of the board’s products. The idea is to make sure that the grower receives a fair price for his fruit.’* The Magistrate said that the breaches of the act were plain black marketing. It meant that the offenders had a wrong advantage over their innocent competitors. A number of actions was brought under tire act They include charges of possessing fruit for sale that was not purchased from the board, seßihg fruit Without authority, and purchasing fruit otherwise than 4h accordance with the regulations. Fines ranging from £4 tn- £35 were imposed on 15 offenders. A