Lemons—And Their Price

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 249, 18 July 1942, Page 8

Lemons—And Their Price

Sir, —May 1 encroach ou a little of vour valuable space, iu au endeavour to obtain some enlightenment on the subject of lemons—and their price? 1 note from the New Zealand Gazette of July 6 that the Internal Marketing Department is paying 4/6 to 5/6 per bushel case for New Zealand-grim u lemons, ami from inquiries made the retailers are paying approximately four times those amounts to the markets, where, I understand, they are obliged to buy. * Assuming that the marketing company makes its legitimate ami comparatively small profit on the sale of these cases, it can only be again assumed -that a very .large profit « take“ by the Internal Marketing Department and, what I want to know is, why . These bushel cases contain, I understand, from 150 to 160 lemons, ami if reasonable expenses and profits were added to the cost paid to tbe unfortunate growers, say, 160 per cent, (which should cover every eot reliable coutingeiicv). the lemons could be sold o Um public for >d. each, instead o 3d. and 4d. each, as charged by most of the retailers today. It seems evident that the Internal Marketin'" Department is squeezing all it'can out of the lemons, with the full knowledge that in the process the public arc suffering the same fate as the lemons. The Internal Marketing Deuartiiient surely has taken over the distribution of the lemons, from its point of view, for the good of the country —that is the public. Why does the department consider it for the benefit of the public that they are forced to inv 3d for lemons instead of Id.? The answer is, I suppose, a lemon.— I am, etc., THE PIP. Wellington, July 10.