UNFAIR METHODS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 29 March 1930, Page 8

UNFAIR METHODS

CONFINED. TO A FEW * ' Mr, P. Fraser, M.P., Avho introduced the deputation to the Minister, informed a "Post" v reporter yesterday, that he considered it was made clear at the deputation that the statements made concerning the unfair packing of vegetables did not apply to the vast majority; of growers', but that, as a matter of fact, the members of the deputation were unanimous that such unfair methods were confined to a small minority, arid the matter was certainly grave I enough to demand inquiry and remedy. HUTT SCHEME Mr. T; ,R. Foster, secretary, of the Hutt Valley Producers' Association, in an interview yesterday, said that' his association, while it wished to protect the honest packers, who were in the majority, it would not stand for anything but legitimate packing. His association, in fact, was at the moment instituting a system of marketing its own packages with the "H.V.P.A." stamp, (a registered stamp), which would" only ee affixed to its first-grade produce. The member receiving the stamp would sign a guarantee form that he would pack nothing but first-grade produce with that stamp on it. As retailers came to know the reliability of the association's stamp, they would realise that only whatever was first quality that season or time of year would be in the package; in fact, they could buy it unopened and he perfectly sure of getting first grade produce. Auctioneers and fruiterers had both been written to, said Mr Foster, asking for their support in the scheme, and if the support ' given in the case of tomatoes, the first crop to be tried -out in the system, guaranteed it, the system would be' applied to all the association's produce. The scheme was the result of many conferences amongst themselves, and it was thought it would prove a success. There must always be a certain amount of second-grade produce," but members of the association, in order to give the first-grade H.V.P.A. stamp its true value, would always see that even sec-ond-grade •' (unstamped) produce was packed so as not to,mislead purchasers. Full representation of all those practically engaged in the fruit and vegetable industries at the forthcoming inquiry was, said Mr Foster, imperative, because there. were many angles connected with the trade which only those actively employed in it could discuss.