BOYCOTT CONTINUES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 47, 24 August 1939, Page 10

BOYCOTT CONTINUES

JAPANESE ONIONS

THE AUCKLAND MARKET

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 23. With the exception of some stocks of Pukekohe onions which, have been,-, accumulated by Chinese, fruiterers, housewives in Auckland and surround ing districts will now have to depend on Japanese onions for the next few | months. i This position has arisen as the result of the purchase of the whole of the remaining stocks of Pukekohe onions by the Internal Marketing Division to supply the needs of Wellington and -Hawke's Bay. The purchase of Pukekohe stocks by the Government means that Auckland merchants will not be able to purchase local onions till the new crop is ready. This move was anticipated by Chinese fruiterers, who have been buying large stocks of Pukekohe onions m the last few weeks. They state thai, though they are losing money on this plan, it is preferable to dealing in Japanese stocks. The. fact that prices ruling for imported onions were a few shillings lower than those for Pukekohe stocKs was mentioned by the president of the Auckland Grain, Seed, and Produce Merchants' Association, Mr. R. id. Stewart. He was unable to state what quantity remained from the recent shipment of more than 700 tons imported from Japan, but the market would be amply supplied for some time. Inquiries in the city revealed that Japanese onions were not moving opt j as freely as was expected. One merchant stated that more than 20 per cent, of orders received for onions definitely specified that they were not to be Japanese. Another 60 per cent, ot his customers stated that they would prefer Pukekohe onions, Several merchants had not handled one crate of imported onions. The Chinese section of the community is maintaining its "boycott oi Japanese onions, and the majority of grocers, have stood by the - resolution passed. by the Auckland Master Grocers' Association, asking all merchants to refuse to handle Japanese onions. The Auckland Wholesale Grocery Merchants' Association later gave its support to the move, stating it was in sympathy with the objects of the boycott. The association pointed out, however, that a number of.merchants had contracted for supplies before any such move had been made. Another indication that the Government is experiencing difficulty.in disposing of Japanese onions is a move to interest Dunedin merchants in the importations. It is expected that further imports will have to be made from California before the new season opens at Pukekohe.