"BEST SYSTEM"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1942, Page 6

"BEST SYSTEM"

SALEjBt^AKGTIGN

1 Aixctibheers as \an organisation v are not:prepared '■'■■ tb:comment on;; -the vie^s of tM Price• Tribu.nal ; '• ■ the " auctioning -of;. vr-yegetablesTiiritil the-y Wellington': '■'"'■ Fruit- Brokers' .Association has ■ '; Kad Aan: opportunity ;to '-study the n ■. : "full 'findings of the tribunal, but individual auctioneers ■■ all; made v the'rsame' cbmmentr Lwhen ■ ap;proached.- So faras they could see; -theysaid, the tribunal had hot;;; found any thing \Ayrong; -with the ; present system, and ; consequently ■'■'■' they. could not understand why any change should be. suggested. ; The a^ over a long period of years to be the best: method of nolding a balance between growers^arid buyers, rone-i auctioneer ': said. The: auction; companies had invested.large;sums of;money in building up an organisation ithaf would handle therselling end of the growers' business. Prices : had V been affected during \ the present .season principally because.of a shortage;!caused^by wea T therConditions,<- andy because of- that,: the auctioneers' part in the: marketing .7systern ? 1-.; ;was being .questioned, ?? The^';trib;unat'mentioned a schemewhereby-the growers could I: bring ■, theii?- /vegetables ;/to.-town '\ to. sell ; ; £hem^di^ 'sumers,bburtr that" was- just, V .what: the 'auction: system enabled the ; growers to ■ 78vold;..;y;^ ;'-:v-;:''l^rQu^h-;?the^-'auctibh\--r-syStem 'the growerlwas:enabled to market his pro-" .duce* by paying a reasonable commission; under the- direct, methbd ..he ■i would have, toigo to/ the^ expanse of doing his^own- marketing, and the loss in. time: involved would cost ' much more than the- present commission. /Vegetables had -to. be Sold; when they were ready for the market, another auctioneer said, and consequently the price could not -be controlled as in some other cases. If certain lines were in short supply the grower received ah enhanced price, but if the grower was going to sell direct how would he apportion the goods that fell short of the demand?. The whole thing appeared to centre around the cost;, of;', auctioneering the goods, but when it was considered :that;; the auc-' tibneers. were acting for hundreds of growers; it became rapparent" that the. auction marts were; essential, to the! growers!. No more economic, system \ had been found in the: past, and there ■ didv not appear to be amy solution noWi'j,Proof: of the value::of -vtheVauction /system was to :be\fbund in / the ; "';vfaet'---:that'-.it.'::wasvI .widei.y.\^-used; There liact ? never 'beenr, any;: suggestion :that ,wpp?growers; should not auction their, :"/wp6ljyfor^instancei:::; : ;; >-V- ;,-;"■■;..'•:•/:•'■:..'• '.-