Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th., 1934. TOO DEAR FRUIT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 September 1934, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14th., 1934. TOO DEAR FRUIT.

•TIIE cost of fruit is an old grievance.—some would date it as far back as Eden, —and the sub-

ject is again receiving attention in New Zealand. That fruit, in tliis country, generally, is too expensive, making a luxury of what should be an every-day necessity, cannot be disputed. The only scope for debate is who is to blame. The growers declare that their net return is not adequate in comparison with the capital and labour involved, Ihe wholesalers plead that there is little or nothing for them in the business, and the retailers speak more of the losses they make than the profits the public believe to be theirs. “Eat more fruit” is a slogan favoured by the sellers, yet nothing limits such eating more than the prices demanded. The disparity between what the grower receives and what the consumer pays passes popular understanding. Admittedly. distribution costs are high, and a percentage of waste must be allowed for. but when all is said that can be legitimately claimed in defence of the high prices, there seems to be ground for allegation that somewhere there is profiteering. Some fruits, such as strawberries or cherries, which should he available to all at a reasonable price, during seasonal weeks, are always 100 costly to most households, and as a consequence the eating of these fruits has to be

reserved lor auspicious occasions. A ear iollows year, with thousands ot* New Zealand children never having the opportunity of tasting what is really their due. If apples and pears are a little less of a. variety in the daily round, their price and quality are far from satisfactory. If such fruits as the above-mentioned, grown so profusely in the Dominion, are dear, it is no surprise that imported oranges and other fruits are relatively high in price. It is no wonder that the newly appointed Trade Commissioner for Australia, was aghast

when he saw the rates asked in the Dominion’s retail shops. This week, the New Zealand Fruit Growers’ Federation conference was held in Wellington, and from the little announced of the proceedings, the public can expect no relief from the high prices demanded for fruit. Efforts are to be made “to devise ways and means of preventing the sale of apples and pears on the local market at ruinous prices.’’ This appears to be an attempt to make bad worse, so far as the public is concerned. Compulsory standardisation of fruit for the local market, with the respective grades marked, are among the control proposals to be asked from the Minister of Agriculture, and protests are to be made at lifting the embargo against Australian fruit, fresh and canned. It can thus be seen that the general public interests are being given little, consideration by the fruitgrowers, distributors and retailers, and if the Conference proposals are sanctioned, the price of fruit will go still higher. It is to be hoped that the Minister and others concerned will protect the nation generally, rather than a .section of it, and that insistence be made on the cheapening of New Zealand fruit to New Zealanders as the first aim of all connected with the trade.