PRICE OF ORANGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 November 1939, Page 4

PRICE OF ORANGES

RETAILERS’ DECISION.

[peb pbess association.]

WELLINGTON, November 2.

Wellington retail fruiterers decided at a meeting yesterday not to sell oranges at prices fixed by the Government till representations have been made lo Ihe Minister for Marketing (Mr. Nash).

The following statement was issued after the meeting, over which Mr. A. M. Holland presided: “The ground for our action is that the sale of oranges will definitely be curtailed. The prices at which oranges are being sold in most shops are lower than those fixed by the Government, as is shown by the following comparison: 126’s, shop price, four for 1/(Government price. 3/2 a dozen); 15O’s-176’s. five for 1/- (150’s 2/10, 176’s 26); 200’s-2lll's, six for 1/- (200’s 2 I. 216’s 2/2): 252'5-288's. eight for 1 - (252's 1/10. 288’s 1/7).

"The principle of fixing prices for such a perishable commodity is. in our opinion, completely unworkable, because so much depends on quality and the amount of handling and storage. A minimum supply for 14 days must be c.iiried bj- the retailer, which means in some cases considerable depreciation in the fruit, because it is not delivered to us on arrival in Ncav Zealand but in greater or lesser quantity is held in cool or other stores.”