FRUIT CONTAINERS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 38, 13 August 1935, Page 14

FRUIT CONTAINERS

CHARGE BY GROWERS

RETAILERS' COMPLAINT

(By Telegraph—.Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, August 12.

Strong exception to the fact that in Otago and Canterbury retail fruiterers were compelled to pay for cases, bags, and sacks in which their fruit was received was taken by speakers at the annual meeting of the Otago Retail Fruiterers' Association today. The president, Mr. T. E. Sagar, claimed that the treatment received by fruiterers in that respect was unfair, and his remarks were heartily supported by other speakers, including a number of delegates from Christchurch and Invercargill.

Mr. Sagar said that although it was not generally known, Canterbury and Otago were the only places in the world where fruit containers (cases) were charged, and steps must be taken to modify that imposition. The universal feeling was that a case was a necessary part of the growers' expense, in exactly the same manner as paper bags and containers were a necessary part of, the retailer's expenses. Hence both should bear their own costs.

"In Dunedin," he said, "a charge of 4d and 6d is made on every case according to size, and this amount is remitted to the growers. A large proportion of the small cases which come from Canterbury cost the ' growers in that district only twopence each, hence Dunedin retailers are not only providing free cases but free pocket money as well. It is obviously unfair that Central Otago- growers who send their fruit hundreds of miles to the North Island, and are content to receive nothing for their cases, should expect 4d and 6d for containers when fruit is sold as close as Dunedin. Again, small 12-pound boxes of tomatoes are always sold in Christchurch box free, yet if the same box is railed to and sold in Dunedin. retailers here pay an additional 4d over and above the price of the fruit. Otago growers send their apples thousands of miles with attendant risks to London and receive nothing for the cases, yet they extract 6d' from their fellow-countrymen in Dunedin."

After a lengthy discussion, delegates from the Christchurch and Invercargill Fruiterers' Association were invited to address the meeting, among those who spoke being Mr. L. Daniels (president of the Christchurch Association), Mr. C. .Gapes (secretary of the Christchurch Association), Mr. W. Masson, Mr. B. Thompson, and Mr. J. Adam (Christchurch), and Mr. Lincoln (Invefrcargill). The meeting closed giving the committee unanimous support in any action it might decide upon. It was, decided that steps should be taken to form a South Island Retail Fruiterers' Association. f