CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 104, 5 May 1942, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE

INTERNAL MARKETING

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Your correspondent, "Less Interference," states: "Taken all round the Internal Marketing Division has been given a fair trial," and would be interested to know the total amount of salaries paid to its employees! Salaries are only part of the operating costs; therefore, for his fuller information, the trading account for the year ending March 31, 1941 (latest figures available) discloses that the administrative expenses were £41,765, of which salaries, wages, and overtime absorbed £28,139, or 67 per cent. The general expenses, such as postages, stationery, telegrams, etc., were £13,535. It seems, from the sectionised accounts of that year that it cost the apple and pear section £26,178 to make a gross loss of £190,544. The ratio of the expenses incurred to the loss obtained was 13.72 per cent. In the honey section the cost of administration, such as salaries, rents, stationery, advertising, and commission was £11,089. Commission absorbed £6022, which appears to be an outstanding item; the other items stated absorbed £1867. ■ It would therefore appear that salaries and commissions for the apple and pear section and the honey section should be grouped to show the aggregate of salaries in respect to "those particular sections as being part of general administrative charges "in the operation of the Internal Marketing Division. From the general cfssatisfaction of the public in relation to the operations of the. Internal "Marketing Division, it seems the Minister for Marketing will have some difficulty if he tries to avoid admitting that the functions of his Department have broken down, when he places before Parliament the statement of accounts in respect to the year ended March 31j 1942.—1 am, etc., FRESH EGGS.