The Times THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1939. Lemon Control

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 4

The Times THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1939. Lemon Control

A few days ago the Government announced that it hod taken over the control of the marketing of lemons in New Zealand and the price fixed for best grade was 6s 9d per case. Yesterday, in Palmerston North, lemons were selling at over 50s per case in the auction marts.! Inquiries as to why the lemons were not sold at the greatly reduced price announced by the Government elicited the information that the graded lemons marketed during the past few days were those taken from the trees before May 1, and were not subject to the new scheme. This would apply only to lemons pulled after May 1. No doubt the influenza epidemic which has been raging throughout the Dominion for nearly a month has been responsible for the famine prices, which are not peculiar to Palmerston North. Nevertheless the absurd discrepancy between the price fixed by the Government—which is apparently satisfactory to the growers—and the prices ruling this week are eloquent proof that some action was needed to protect both grower and consumer. It has been stated, on what appears to be good authority, that while the public have been exploited in such a bai’c-faccd manner, lemons have been actually rotting on the trees in the Auckland district because the prices offered by distributors have not made it worth the growers’ while to pick and pack them. For years the citrus fruit industry has been in a parlous plight, while the consuming public have had to pay high prices for one of Nature’s most healthful foods, and it has to be admitted that, while Government interference in business in general is usually fraught with unhappy consequences to the consumer, here is a case where the parties most vitally concerned should benefit by wise control and ordered marketing.