OYSTERS ON SALE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 138, 7 March 1941, Page 6

OYSTERS ON SALE

Retail Price Same As Last Season

RESTAURANTS CHARGE 3d. A PLATE EXTRA Oysters made their 1941 debut in Wellington this week, though not at first in very large supply. The first shipment arrived on Tuesday, and was insufficient to permit supplies to be sent up-country after the city’s requirements had been filled. A further shipment arrived yesterday, and more oysters are expected today and< tomorrow. The molluscs were mostly slightly smaller than usual, though it was stated that they would probably improve in size later in the season, as soon as the beds became more extensively worked. They were well-conditioned, and of good flavour. • Oysters were selling yesterday in the retail fish shops at 9d. a dozen in the shell, and 1/- opened. This retail price was exactly the same as that prevailing last season. Surprise was expressed, however, by those who hurried to certain city restaurants for their first plate of oysters on the shell. They were charged 1/9, instead of 1/6 as last year, for a plate of one dozen oysters, a cup of tea, and bread-and-butter. Restaurant proprietors confirmed that an extra 3d. was being charged. A charge of 1/9 would be an increase of 17 per cent, on last year’s current price. It would represent, on retail prices, a reward of 1/- a dozen, or one penny an oyster, for opening and serving the oysters and providing condiments, bread-and-butter, and tea. A leading Wellington restaurateur, affirming that the 3d. increase was being charged generally throughout the city restaurants, explained that the wholesale price of oysters had increased. The cost of opening oysters had risen from 5/- to 10/- or more a sackful; indeed, it was difficult to get men, skilled or unskilled, to undertake this work. The restaurateurs had no option but to pass these increases on to the public. Increase Not Authorized.

In response to inquiries, the Price Tribunal yesterday stated that no authority- had been given to retailers to increase the price to the consumer beyond that ruling during last season, and pointed out that pending receipt of an application on behalf of the retail interests, any retailer who sold oysters in excess of last season’s prices would be guilty of an offence under the Price Regulations. Because of variations in freight, etc., and distribution arrangements, there had teen a small increase in the authorized wholesale price, but the tribunal had been given to understand by major retail interests that this small increase would not be passed on to the consumer.