PRICES FOR FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 60, 8 September 1934, Page 8

PRICES FOR FRUIT

(To the Editor.) Sir, —In your columns recently you quote that Mr. Nesbitt, Australian Trade Commissioner, "has been staggered" at seeing the prices marked on Australian oranges in the shop -windows. "While the retailer wishes to sell his fruit as cheaply as possible, he cannot always be selling at a loss. Mr. Nesbitt is naturally interested in the Australian variety and desires to see that this line reaches the public at a reasonable price, and rightly so. . • We welcome any' investigation that he wishes to make and will only be too pleased to give him as much, assistance as possible to remedy the "staggering" prices which tho retailer is compelled to charge at present, and the "staggering prices" which he is compelled to pay for Australian oranges at the present time, owing, firstly, to the restricted quota which the Government has placed upon . them, and secondly, to the limited supplies which arrive in New Zealand being under control of one person, who fixes the wholesale price at which they shall, be sold. The prices are such that the Tetailer and the public must be governed by the upset prices as fixed by this gentleman. We retailers consider that these prices are far too high, but they will continue until such time as the quota system is lifted entirely. We take strong exception to the remarks "that the agitation for the free entry

to New Zealand, of Australian oranges has been conducted in the.interests of children and invalids, > not of shopkeepers." The children's and invalids' interests are identical with ours; this wo have strongly pointed out in our several deputations to the Government, but we regret that up to the present it has not lifted this quota system, let alone the embargo.—l am, etc., ' W. HATCH, President, European Retail Fruiterers' Assn.