ORANGES.

Evening Star, Issue 22631, 24 April 1937, Page 10

ORANGES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —“ The Orange Market. High Prices Realised. Acute Shortage of Supplies.” These are the headings of a paragraph in your last night’s ‘ Star ’ in references to a position which has been going from bad to worse during the past few months. What a position to be in. after all the fuss and publicity given to this question at Christmas time! How much further are we? The Hon. Minister of Industries and Commerce, at a reception given by the Auckland City Council a few weeks ago, was questioned about the shortage of; oranges, and out came the old parrot cry: “The Government is closely watching the position.” Mr, Sullivan Has said this so often that he will be shortly saying it in his sleep. The irony of the thing is that the council then' passed a vote of thanks to the Minister and the Government for what they were doing. The episode would be funny if it were not so tragic. 1 have been trying for the past six years to run a small fruit shop, and am now forced into the position of having to close or work for •nothing. The only fruits to sell to-day are bananas, oranges, apples, tomatoes, grapes, pears, and lemons. Bananas and .oranges cannot possibly £how any margin of profit, both having been strangled by Government interference. Tomatoes, pears, and grapes are now so high in price that a loss is more probable than profit. Apples are not so bad, but I cannot keep myself and family on the sale of apples alone. To make matters worse, the local fruitbrokers will now only give a week’s credit. Compare this with my first year’s trading in 1931. At this tinie of the year I had for sale Australian organges, 5 6, and 8 for Is—to-day, none. Californian Navels 4 and 5 for Is—to-day. 6d each. Australian passions, 8 for Is—-to-day none. Aus’tralian grapes, 10d and Is per lb—today, none, but local grapes 2s 6d and 3s per lb. Bananas, 12 and 14 for Is —to-day, 8 for Is. Australian mandarines, 8, 10, and 12 for Is—to-day. none. Apples, pears, and tomatoes were approximately the same price, hut you will see what little variety there is to-day. In those days we could also have two or three weeks’ credit from the merchants.

I, however, do not blame the brokers, as their present tightening up of credit is only natural seeing that fruit shops are closing down every week, and it is only a matter of who will be next. Can you explain why the embargo is being kept on Australian fruit, and also who is making all the profit out of the highpriced oranges and bananas? A small shipment of Jamaican organes is due in about a week, and I believe the