BANANA SHIPMENTS

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 21, 19 October 1944, Page 6

BANANA SHIPMENTS

Payment To Growers The small shipments of bananas that came worn the Islands were referred to bj Mr. Morton (Opposition, Waitematu) during the discussion on the estimates ot the Internal Marketing Division tn the House yesterday. He said the reason lor this was that the division did not suit the •'rowers. Last Saturday the Mattia arrived at Auckland with a record low shipment of 6000 cases t the rest of the space in her holds being filled with empty beer bottles. The Island producers, said Mr. Morton. were far from satisfied with the work of the division. Bananas sold at 7d. a pound, but all the growers got was five shillings a case. Auckland had to pay the same price as Invercargill and the Bluff, and he asked why bananas were singled out for selling at a Mandardizfnl price. Why should Auckland not pay a standardized price for fruits grown in Central Otago _ Mr. Morton, who criticized the sale of oranges by weight, said that before I he present Administration assumed office New trade with Tonga was very considerable, but now it was almost negligible. Tonga now dealt almost exclusively with New South Wales. The Minister of Marketing, Mr. Roberts, said the Government was buynig all the bananas obtainable from the Islands and the growers there were being paid higher prices than they had ever received. Referring to the sale of oranges by weight, the Minister said that this practice had obtained in Britain for a long time. If people wanted to buy them by the dozen in New Zealand they could do so and pay on the basis of the weight. Thus they could have it both ways.