FRUIT INQUIRY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 29 May 1930, Page 3

FRUIT INQUIRY

METHODS OF MARKETING CHHISICHURCH COMMENT (By Telegraph—Special to "The Mail") CIU.USTeiIU.UCII, 28th May. According to leading Christohureh auctioneers, the Government inquiry which is to he hold into the methods of marketing fruit and vegetables, has resulted from action on the part of retailers and others in the North Island, chiefly Wellington. A reporter' was informed to-day that though Christcliurch was not concerned to such an extent, no doubt growers, retailers and merchants from this centre would be represented at the inquiry and evidence would be given by tlie representatives.

A petition was made last year to the House of Representatives by the fruit and vegetable retailers of Wellington, and it was then decided to set up a Departmental inquiry. Deputations from fruiterers and growers and retailers asked that the inquiry should be a. public one. The ultimate, decision of the Government, however, is to refer the inquiry to the Industries and Commerce Committee of the House early in the coming session. The committee will then be asked to Hear evidence and roport. Any person desiring to do so may give evidence. The scope of the inquiry is expected to cover such matters'as methods of packing and grading, marking, handling, storage, sales methods and so on. A Christcliurch auctioneer said to-day that the thing'had originated in Wellington with serious complaints about "top dressing" of cases sent in by growers and some other things of a similar nature.

The growers then found certain complaints about the markets, the methods of selling in vogue and marketing generally. In Christcliurch, he went on, there had been no trouble on anything like such a scale as in Wellington. There was a little bit of lop dressing in the local market, of course, but it was gradually being eliminated through the activities of the Inspectors of the Department of Agriculture. The inspectors had authority to empty bags and cases at any time to see the grading of the contents and they also could check weights. "I believe the retailers here are interested in the proposed inquiry and no doubt the growers and merchants will be represented* too. All the same though, we certainly have had complaints from retailers about things here. They have not been sufficient to justify a request for an inquiry such as has been done in Wellington". "The outcome of the inquiry may be a betterment in the conditions of marketing and it will keep the 'growers up to the mark.

"With an improved pack there has been a big improvement during the last few years in the marketing of apples and that sort of thing. "Though standardisation of cases was one thing that helped to this end, the inquiry will not, I should imagine, make "any difference to actual methods of selling and buying used in the auction rooms."