ORANGE BOYCOTT

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12398, 10 November 1934, Page 4

ORANGE BOYCOTT

WELLINGTON’S GRIEVANCE.

REPLY by j AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE.

DETERIORATION THROUGH * STORAGE DENIED.

(Press Association} ■ WELLINGTON, Nov. 9

“If I could make known to the public all that is taking place I feel ■ sure they would appreciate that what is being done is in the best interests of the consuming public, as well as of the whole of the trade including the retailers.” said Mr. 0. N. S. Mud'ler, New Zealand representative of the Murray Citrus. Grower- Co-opera-tive Association, Australia, Ltd., today, commenting on the boycott of Australian, oranges by Wellington fruiterers on the grounds of poorness of quality and excessiveness of price. “The position that lias been taken up is that the retailers must have the fruit as it lands, and let.any surplus from the previous consignment continue to deteriorate, continued Mr. Mueller. If Mr, r Hatch and his cssociates conduct their business in this manner, it is no- wonder they talk of their losses, but I cannot countenance such a- procedure with anv growers’ fruit. As fruit arrives from Australia and America in cool storage, it is only. exhibiting ignorance to state that our fruit deteriorates because it is held in New Zealand for two weeks in a cool store. The fruit we send to England remains in a cooler for tuo months, and your New Zealand apples are held here for months with no detrimental effect.

“With reference to the small fruitcomplaint in Australia, small fruit has an enhanced value at times when prices rise generally at this time of the year. My growers were under the impression that they were shipping what was required rather than something objectionable. During the season I have consistently made good retailers’ legitimate losses. I have not permitted any variation in price, and the market has never been without oranges.

“What the retailer really wants is difficult to understand,” said Mr. Mueller, “what I do know is that on the present prices marked up in shop windows, the retailer is getting more in two weeks for a case of oranges than the grower gets in 12 months, but I have no quarrel with that position, as I know that the Oosts of retailing are high. “With reference to a statement alleged to have been made by the -secretary of-, the retailers .. at Dunedin that oranges were very scarce on the Dunedin market/’ he said, “I have his personal assurance that the statement was not made by him, and if anyone wants I<3oo eases of oranges at Dunedin I can supply them from stoc-ks, and. to a very much/ larger extent the same applies in every port from Dunedin-to Auckland, so the alleged shortage is all moonshine.”