CONTROL OF EGG MARKET

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 206, 28 May 1938, Page 10

CONTROL OF EGG MARKET

Weekly Fixation Of

Prices

COMMITTEE FORMED BY

DISTRIBUTORS

‘A move to organise the Wellington egg market was made by several Wellington distributors on Thursday, when a meeting, convened by Mr. C. G. Fox, of the Internal Marketing Department, was held. For some time the need for control of prices has been felt by distributors, and the unsatisfactory movement of the market during the past few months brought definite action. The distributors represented at the meeting were: —The Internal Marketing Department, Marshall’s Farm Products, Ltd., J. B. Mac Ewan, Ltd., W. Burbidge and Co., Ltd., Produce Traders, Ltd., and Dominion Distributors, Ltd. The representatives formed a committee to be known as the Egg Marketing Committee, which will meet weekly on Tuesdays to discuss and arrange matters connected with the trade. The state of the market and the supplies available will be considered by the committee, and an endeavour to fix a stable price level will be made. It is hoped that conditions similar to those existing at Auckland will be the outcome and that the Christchurch and Dunedin markets will 'be brought into line later. Because it is not. expected that the price fixed each week will remain steady for the following seven days, provision will bo made for further discussion at short notice by the committee, and any necessary alteration will be made.

The Wellington merchants have undertaken to keep to the price stated by the committee and a suggestion will be made that a bond be deposited to ensure that this rule is observed. Should one merchant have a preponderance of any particular grade it will be the business of the committee to see that the grade is evenly distributed by making selling and buying'arrangements between the distributors concerned. There will be no profit involved in these transactions. The ultimate effect, .it is expected, will x be to stabilise the market and make for general confidence instead of the uncertainty that is characteristic of 'buyers and sellers under the present system. The scheme as outlined above was proposed by the merchants themselves at the meeting. Next Tuesday will see the first discussion and a fixing of the price level in the Wellington district.