MINISTER'S REPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1943, Page 3

MINISTER'S REPLY

ADJUSTMENT WARRANTED

A reply was made today by the Minister of Marketing (Mr. Barclay) to the questions raised at the meeting of the Wellington Master Grocers' Association last night. The Minister said that the eees imported from Australia were tested and graded, hut the distribution of the eggs to the retail trade without stamping was a technical breach. He considered the claim by the grocers to some reasonable allowance as compensation was justifiable.

"Owing to the increasing shortage of eggs available for public consumption as the result of the increased demands for armed forces and Pacific requirements," said the Minister, ''approval was given to the Internal Marketing Division to import shell eggs from Australia which were intended for military purposes and to release local eggs for public consumption. Upon the arrival of this particular consignment, 800 crates were delivered to the United States authorities and placed in their cool store on the understanding that if the local market remained seriously under-supplied they would release for public consumption any quantity of this consignment required by the Division. Subsequently the Division decided to request the American authorities to release these eggs for the local market. "Before being distributed to retailers in Wellington, the eggs were tested and graded by Combined Distributors, Limited, and the official grade notes submitted by that organisation show Hhat under three dozen eggs of a total quantity of over 24,000 dozen, were rejected and the balance -were certified as being in a suitable condition for immediate consumption on the local market.

"There can be no question that a technical breach of the regulations did occur when these eggs were distributed to the retail trade without stamping. These eggs, however, were in no wav chilled eggs in the accepted sense of having been placed m cool store during the flush period held there for several months, and then released during the winter period. These eggs were only in cool store tor six days in New Zealand and pending a survey of arrivals for public consumption, and were not intended primarily for the Wellington market.' REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to the specific questions asked by the Grocers' Association, the Minister stated:— 1. The eggs were graded and tested by Messrs. Combined Distributors under exactly the same procedure which is adopted by regulation for all eggs passing through licensed distributors. 2. Theee Australian eggs were not mixed with the local eggs and were sent out as a separate distribution, and Combined Distributors have a complete record of the quantities sent to each retailer. 3 As already admitted, the distribution of these eggs without stamping was a technical breach of the regulations. 4. The Price Tribunal's permission refers to a maximum price for any !?ggs sold within the Dominion and therefore covers eggs secured from any source. 5. The Department is fully aware that after priorities for hospitals, ships, invalids, and armed forces have been met, the balance available to the grocers of Wellington for distribution to their customers has for some time been considerably lower than their normal requirements and less than the quantity available in centres of production where these priorities do not have to be met. MORE EGGS FOR WELLINGTON. "The Internal Marketing Division has just recently been provided with the facilities for encouraging a larger flow of eggs into Wellington and Auckland so as to secure more equitable distribution of eggs to consumers in these centres compared with other areas in the Dominion," the Minister continued.

"In view of the definite evidence now available that retailers and consumers have suffered loss through the deterioration of these Australian eggs by the time they reached the consumer, I consider the claim of the grocers to some reasonable allowance as compensation is justifiable and will discuss with Messrs. Combined Distributors the method by which some satisfactory adjustment can be made. At the same time, I consider that whatever risk was taken by the Internal Marketing Division in placing these eggs on the market was justifiable in an endeavour to, meet the otherwise complete shortage of eggs during that period. "In regard to the remaining resolutions passed at the meeting referring to the marketing generally and the suggestion that the Internal Marketing Division should extend its control, I will be prepared to give these proposals my immediate consideration and & necessary discuss the matter directly with the executives of the master