PLANNED GROWING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1942, Page 4

PLANNED GROWING

AN URGENT NEED

LICENSING OF SHOPS

The definite opinion is expressed by the tribunal that the market gardening industry urgently calls for organisation and planning in regard to the areas planted for different classes of vegetables, and recommends that action be taken by the Government to bring this about.

The tribunal's recommendation is that the Government consider the advisability of providing, either by regulations under the Emergency Regulations Act as a temporary war measure, or by statute as a permanent provision, for the registration of commercial growers working half an acre or upwards of land, and the setting up Sof a council, which would comprise market gardeners and officers of State I Departments, such as the Department of Agriculture, and other interested parties, with a view to bringing the industry into a condition of planned production and marketing. "In this connection," states the tribunal, "it might be desirable to set up a separate committee to deal with production and marketing of potatoes along the lines of the present Onion Marketing Committee. By this means it could be assured, as far as is humanly possible, that a sufficient area would be grown each year, and that production of various classes of vege- j tables, including potatoes and onions,! would be sufficient for the needs of the New Zealand civilian population as well as for the Armed Forces. No measure of control can, of course, provide for seasonal fluctuations in the quantity produced, but it is considered that after making reasonable provision to meet any shortage from this factor, ( the violent fluctuations m acreage and production which have occurred in past years could be minimised to this extent." RETAIL SHOPS. The tribunal also considers that some form of registration might be favourably considered by the Government to meet the position of overhead costs being disproportionately high owing to the existence of too many retail shops. It suggests that the system of registration be accompanied by the prohibition of any newcomer starting business without the approval of the controlling authority, and with the further provision that where a retailer goes out of business, no other person or firm, except where the public interest so requires, should be permitted to commence business in his place. . . .

"Such system of licensing," the tribunal adds, "would necessarily include suitable provisions to safeguard the public from the dangers that might result from the creation of any form of monopoly, and to ensure that any substantial savings in costs resulting from such licensing are passed on to the

public in the form of lower prices. This would necessarily involve periodic reviews of the trade, and the institution of some form of profit control. Such control could probably be exercised by the Price Tribunal in terms of the present Government policy."

PRICE MARK-UPS.

On the subject of costing by retail-, ers, the tribunal says that whilst fully appreciating the difficulties of implementing any costing system in connection with certain classes of commodities which are subject to serious deterioration, it thinks, nevertheless,

that mark-ups of retailers in the different centres should not show the wide disparities that have apparently existed up to the present. Accordingly the tribunal proposes to continue its investigations into this phase to see whether it is possible to arrive at a more uniform and reasonable method. The tribunal strongly favours all vegetables being sold by weight where that course is practicable, having regard to quality.