AUCKLAND FRUIT SALES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10834, 18 August 1898, Page 6

AUCKLAND FRUIT SALES.

AN IMPROVED SYSTEM DESIRABLE. At the invitation of the Auckland Fruitgrowers' Union, the auctioneers of Auckland interested in tho sale of fruit met Messrs. Johns and Sharp, delegates to the association, who, during a recent visit to Wellington in connection with tho Orchards and Gardens Pests Bill now before Parliament, collected information as to the conduct of the frill sales by auction in Wellington, he object boing to discuss the question as to the desirability of arranging an improved method among the local auctioneers for the sale ot fruit, and the best means of so doing. Mr. Johns occupied the chair, and with.Messrs. Sharp and Kay, represented the Iru.tgrowers Union, tho salesmen being represented bj Messrs A. W. Donald, Turner C. Arthur, ta,: ,Jones, Hall, Birth Buddie (R. Arthur), Newman (Aitkcn and Co.. The report of the delegates stated that as the outcome of an interview with.Messrs. Farmer, Haybittle, and Townsend, lie principal auctioneers of fruit in Wellington, hey had ascertained that the port charges on fruit at Wellington were Is per ton, and fit Dunedin 4s per ton, cartage the same in bo places, and commission 7J per cent, in Wellington and 7i to 10 per cent, a Dunedin. These firms had combined, and would not undersell each other, having the entire fruit sales under their control. .They a ways had a man to meet steamers night and day to see to the careful unshipping of tho taut, and if anv eases were missing they were paid for by the shipping company that had handled he fruit. When a shipment arrived they fixed a price and did not sell under thai price. The market they sold in was a fine one far tho purpose of showing off the fruity to advantage, each firm having an office in the buildlag,' all sales being cash on delivery, lhe report concluded by stating that Auckland fruit was in good demand in Wellington and that Auckland apples topped the market. The Chairman, in speaking to the report, stated that tho method adopted in Wellington was a decided improvement on that in vogue in Auckland, inasmuch as that the centralisation of the fruit in the one market brought the whole of the intending buyers, together, thus bringing about a competition that could not prevail where the salerooms were scattered, the inability of buyers to cover tho wholo of the markets in the latter caso naturally interfering with the competition. He urged upon the Auckland auctioneers the desirability of introducing a similar system, which, he held, would he in the interests of both salesmen and fruitgrcwers. , . Messrs. Sharp and Kay both spoke in support of a central market and the combination of the auctioneers interested, the auctioneers being then invited to express their views on the proposal. Mr. Donald thought the delegates were somewhat in error with regard to tho Wellington system, remarking that, as far as his experience had shown, the fruit was only centralised for the sake of convenience when largo shipments came to hand-such, for instance, as large consignments of oranges -uid bananas-but that the general run of fruit was sold at the rooms of the auctioneers concorned in the ordinary way. A point 'io thought the fruitgrowers had overlooked, and an important one, as far as prices were concerned, was that of the condition in which fruit was sent to the Auckland markets. -It wa.> badly markoted—in fact, woke than in any other part of the colony— condition in which it reached town being anything but what it should be, and responsible in a great measure for tho lower prices ruling. There was ample room for, and should be, a decided improvement in this direction. The Chairman admitted that there was a deal of truth in what Mr. Donald had sod, but pointed mil that this was not the question at issue, the purpose for which they lad met together being to endeavour to effect an improvement in tho system of selling. The secretary (Mr. Mockio) then road a number of communications from associated fruilgiwors' societies, Hippo being unanimous in expressing tho opinion that a central market would ho desirable, and in the interests of the fruitgrowers, after which several other of the auctioneers spoke to tho proposal, all inclining to favour a move in the direction of some such system as that suggested, provided tho various firms interested could arrive at a feasible scheme. It was eventually decided to hold a meeting of auctioneers to consider the whole question, the date being fixed for Monday, August 29, the Fruitgrowers' Association to bo notified of the decision arrived at.

The Orchard and Garden Pests Bill was then mentioned by the Chairman, and after a brief discussion, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:—"That this meeting of Auckland fruit salesmen strongly condemns the provisions of tho Orchard and Garden Pests Bill relating to' the salo or distribution of fruit in this province, as oppressive in the extreme and inimical to the best interests of tho fruit industry generally."