ORANGE SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 8, 4 October 1941, Page 11

ORANGE SHORTAGE

Move In Wellington For Fairer Distribution The Wellington Retail Fruiterers’ Association has again approached the Internal Marketing Division to obtain a fair means of the distribution of oranges to shopkeepers. The secretary-treasurer of the association, Mr. A. Bennett, stated yesterday that, under the present system, oranges were being used by the merchants as a’ draw card for trade, inasmuch as buyers requiring oranges were able to order from every merchant for whom they were agents in Wellington, with the result that the buyers in highest favour received some percentage of their order. This, Mr. Bennett said, enabled the buyer to acquire quite a reasonable supply iu the aggregate. The buyer who did not deal from all merchants was very fortunate if he received even a small supply. The Wellington Retail Fruiterers’ Association has made an alternative suggestion to the Internal Marketing Division that each shopkeeper should nominate one merchant, so that in the event of a shortage occurring each buyer would receive an equal percentage. Mr. Bennett said that there was at present an acute shortage of oranges in Wellington. A small shipment bad arrived from Australia, but had not been landed yet because of the wet weather. Mr. A. H. Honeyfield, Auckland manager of the Internal Marketing Division, recently said that the orange shortage was caused by factors beyond the control of the department or the Government. “Shipping is admittedly difficult from Australia,”' replied a representative of the trade to this, “but anyone with a knowledge of the business would be able to foresee market and other trends a.ud to see that there were sufficient supplies to meet normal, far less abnormal, demands.” “It is fortunate that we have no outbreak of influenza as the demand would then have been at least three times the normal calls.” He said that on the basis of 40/- for Keri Keri oranges Australian oranges would be worth at least 80/- a case, in view of their quality and the fact that these oranges were packed in cases that held about one and one-third bushels.