MARKETING IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18458, 23 July 1923, Page 5

MARKETING IN AUCKLAND.

f-.V Sir,—ln your: columns of late there have been several letters on the subject of " Markets and municipal selling regulations in Auckland." 'Anyone studying tho position must realise that there is iii; Auckland, in very important branches of', trade, no proper spirit of competition, either in buying or selling. Take fruit, for instance. v When you go into, a /,''.":' j Chinaman's shop "and comment on the ' high price of his apples,; he smiles In a superior way, and turns to attend to ) other business. , He does no 4 care whether ,-/ you buy or not, and clearly lets you see it. He knows that there are plenty of/■ customers for his stock, even at prices . which are, exorbitant, and the competi-... tion of the' man next door does not worry him a bit. Follow the same '.'gentleman to his . buy-. ing at'the auction rooms, misnamed City:, Market. . Half ; the > buyers, ".here are Chinamen, and Indians, but anyone who .•:■:■ takes the trouble to watch the, sales can see that there is no genuine competition)/. v among these buyers; 80 per cent, will sit round the table like wooden images, leav*", j ing, presumably, the remaining. 20 per, cent, to do tho bidding for the lot. Afierwtrds, I suppose, they divide up. or per- ".'.; ':.'. haps, they hold another auction Bale ' v among themselves. , - , '.•''-'. The actual. result hi that the European, .:■.- fruitgrower, after paying auctioneers' charges, vfreights,) cost of cases, .etc., i is ■'"'. " lucky if he clears■-.. Id per lb. for his < fruit. The Oriental carts away ;to his; C shop the apples, which cost him., say, 2d per lb., and J promptly marks : them'for retail at: 6d or 8d per lb.. Can anyone make it clear to us, why, ; in Auckland and' other centres in? New •;J Zealand,;we have ruled the good old : English institution, ■ the ■" Retail Muni-- v l r cipal Market," where growers arig pro- I ducers . can-; hire: stalls - and* sell direct"• to consumers.'.':.:';' " ■:■//. V : , : . « - • '.. As; an institution, the municipal .retail - \ market has the wisdom of centuries ; be- , hind it,; but ; I was never so "much :r im-1:. i ° pressed with its usefulness as during my recent residence in Calcutta. There, 1, : : ; think, they have one of the finest markets " in _ the ; world. ; It is in a large lofty building, • centrally situated, and splendidly ventilated. .;.; The " stalls" are : hired / from the ; council by ' growers ' and • pro- ;G ; : ducers, ;or /their agents,; whoso only customers are the consuming public. Every-. t j thing f exposed /fdr/salo ; must :; pass: ; most v% i rigid/: examination by municipal : inspec- ■ / tors. In separate roomy sections, meat.,' pouhryjl/fruit, vegetables, and every kind '-■;>'-•: of produce"- • are retailed and as adjuncts '££ :. to the main market,; there are ■ little shops '' . and . stills ':-■ selling I, all, sorts of require- /• / : " ments. The business of the market is going, hard/ from daylight /until ■• dark, rind )/: the spirit of competition is fairly "jump- /; ing," One is/much more impressed by the keenness of vendors to , make /srJes than by their efforts to exact high prices. J % For the buyers there is: tremendous . scope •' \ for clever, bargaining, and the/market is i' very' popular with , European residents. :]N We all know/that to the/best' women in ' : the world, the exercise of the' bargain- - ing faculty is a joy, and to such, the ' ' knowledge that by clever marketing, thev-'il ' 'are /effecting substantial:: savings iv the ?r cost of living will never fail. to bring ..i comfort and pleasure. To my certain knowledge .jat the present/time, in : Auck- ') : land, fcfpr./two/ very important : ' items of '. food, bananas and fish, householders are paying about 400 per cent, more than they were paying 20 years ago. Does anyone believe ; that the position ) Would : ' be the same if Auckland had a market such - as, I/have 'described;'where i' banana- ■ ;t growers ih the Islands, "or their agents, ' and , anyone lucky::enough - !i to secure a ' good haul of fish, could sell direct to the ~ consumers by paying a small charge for * the hire of a stall. ./ - , ■ W. Beamish A. MOKRIBOif.