EARLY CLOSING OF FRUIT SHOPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 9

EARLY CLOSING OF FRUIT SHOPS.

Sir,— am surprised at the attitude taken by the Henderson fruitgrowers in opposing" the retail fruiterers' requisition for earlier closing, as it really cannot make any difference to them. We have only curtailed tho hours by about six per week. Under tho present system tho retail fruiterer has his shop open for 82 hours per week, so I don't think tho grower can say he does not get a fair deal oven he, with all his hard ships, cannot beat that record. I see that a city retailer deprecates the system, an/d in this democratic country, and says that the suburban retailer has a very small stake in the trade. But there aro some, who have signed and worked for tho new regulations, who have a good stake both in the trade and in tho country. Keenly Interested. Sir,—Sir Archibald Lane, the eminent London cancer specialist, in a recent article on " How to Prevent Cancer," wrote; "The way of escape then is by going back to a right.way of living, and to tho normal way of eating. The health and happiness of "the natives in tropical countries are duo to tho fact that they eat such a quantity of fresh fruit and green foods. . . . Thcro is, however, an economic aspect of fruit feed ing that is in its disfavour. Fruit costs a good deal and is not easy to obtain. This subject cannot bo dealt with hero beyond stating that the cost of fruits is increased excessively after the fruit leaves tho grower. Our distributing system is all Wrong, and before long enterprising tradesmen, seeing that thcro is a demand for fruit and green foods, will arrange that these are left with customers in just the same way as the milkman and the baker calls and leaves milk and bread. There is a good business waiting for such a tradesman.. The. public must learn that fruit and green food aro not businesses but are absolutely essential to health." " Poiiaie.