FRUITERERS’ COMPLAINT

Evening Star, Issue 22106, 13 August 1935, Page 14

FRUITERERS’ COMPLAINT

CHARGE FOR CONTAINERS EXCEPTION TAKEN TO IMPOSITION The fadt that the Otago and Canterbury retail fruiterers were forced to pay for the cases, bags, and sacks in which they obtained their fruit was the subject of strong complaint at the annual meeting of the Otago Retail Fruiterers’ Association yesterday, it was claimed by the newly-elected president (Mr T. E. Sagar) that the treatment received by fruiterers in that connection was unfair. He spoke at length on the matter, and was unanimously supported by other speakers. Mr Sagar said that, although it was not generally known, Canterbury and Otago were the only places in the”world where fruit containers (cases) were charged, and steps must be taken to modify that imposition. The universal feeling was that the case was a necessary part of the grower’s expense in exactly the same manner as the paper, bags, and containers were a necessary part of the retailer’s expenses, hence both boro their own costs.

“ In Dunedin a charge of 4d and 6d is made on every case according to size, and this amount is remitted to the growers,” he said. “ A large proportion of the small cases which come from Canterbury cost the , growers in that district only two pence each, hence the Dunedin retailers are not only providing free cases, but free pocket money as well. It is obviously unfair that Central Otago growers, who send their fruit hundreds of miles to the North Island and are content to receive nothing for their cases, should expect Id and 6d for the containers when the fruit is sold as close as Dunedin. Again, small 12lb boxes of tomatoes are always sold in Christchurch box free, yet if the same box is railed to and sold in Dunedin retailers here pay an additional fourpence over and above the price of the fruit. Otago growers send their apples thousands of miles with the attendant risks to London and receive nothing for the cases, yet extract sixpence from their fellowcountrymen in Dunedin.” There was a lengthy discussion, delegates from the Christchurch _ and Invercargill Fruiterers’ Associations then bcin ginvited to address the meeting. Among those who spoke were Mr L. Daniels (president of the Christchurch Association), Mr C. Capes (secretary of the Christchurch Association), Messrs W. Masson, B. Thompson and J. Adam (Christchurch), and Mr Lincoln (Invercargill). The meeting closed giving the committee unanimous support in any action it might decide upon. Mr 11. Kwok, representing ihe Chinese Fruiterers’ Association, supported all that was said, and promised hearty co-operation in any course the executive might adopt. It was decided that steps should be taken to form a South Island Retail Fruiterers’ Association. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows: —President, Mr T. E. Sagar; vice-president, Mr Hop Lee; secretary, Mr H. A. Newall; committee —Messrs A. Steel, A. G. Monk, A. ,T. Hinton, Wing On, Sun Fruit Company, Pacific Fruit Company, Sin Wah.