FISH SUPPLY AND PRICES

Evening Star, Issue 17920, 16 March 1922, Page 2

FISH SUPPLY AND PRICES

MUNICIPAL MARKETS ADVOCATED.

[Special xo the ' Star/’]

■ CHRISTCHURCH, March 15. T)r Thacker, Mayor of Christchurch, has recivod a. letter from the secretary to the Otago Fishermen's Society dealing with the question of fish supply ana prices. The writer states that in tho winter months tho fishermen _of Port Chalmers send largo quantities oi ns-i to Christchurch for sale and distribution, but in tho summer months they cannot do bo, as fish will not keep. Tho method of transport was awful. The manner in which the sale of fish was controlled was another factor, and that would never bo altered until the municipality took control and bought at a price per pound from each centre and sold at a price pci pound to the public, such price to be sumcient to enable a working profit to be made, and at the same time permit the fish to enter tho homo as food of necessity raid not of luxury, as at present. had written to the Prime Minister asking that fish be carried on tiro railways upon the same terms and conditions as iriut, at so much per case, irrespective of weight, and also to have an export duty per pound upon fish removed. He had also asked the Hon. Downie Stewart to go into that question when discussing trade reciprocity with Australian representatn a I have gone into this fish question from A to Z,” added tho writer, “ .and can enlighten you upon many' points that the layman cannot grasp, especially as to tho ring formed amongst tho buyers, with a view to running the price of fish to kill the hawker, when they can, have their own way. How can a hawker secuio a. rerulated supply unless such is under the control of a municipality ? We consider a profit of Id per pound would bo quite .sufficient. Sav, for instance, a fisherman asked 3d per pound for groper, then they would eel! at 4d per pound free on rail at Port Chalmers. There is nothing better than that. The same applied to all fish, whether smoked, dried, or fresh.”