PURCHASES OF FISH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20130, 15 December 1928, Page 14

PURCHASES OF FISH.

NEW WHOLESALE SYSTEM. OBJECTION BY RETAILERS. FLAT RATE FOR BASKETS. No little dissension was caused at the fish market of Sanford. Limited, yesterday morning when retailers arrived expecting to make their usual purchase by the pound. They found tho fish had been sorted into baskets, which they were offered at 25s each.

This departure from the usual custom in Auckland was noi agreeable to tho retailers, who called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation. There were about 50 present, and it was decided to appoint a committee to inquire into the possibilities of obtaining othei supplies, and to negotiate with the fishermen for the purpose According to one retailer, were ihey to conform to the new method of distribution to the shops, it would certainly mean increased prices to the public. The retailers, he said, intended to see the matter out to the bitter end, which meant that they might even have to arrange for trawling on a large scale. Discussing the situation. Mr. G. Sanford said the system of selling to retailers by the pound had been the custom in Auck jand for many years and was very un satisfactory. The new system was very fair. The retailers were not asked to take rubbish and any spent fish were either taken back or replaced. It was not fair for tHose who came first to take all the large fish, leaving the small for those who came next. "We cannot put the fish into the nets. They must be taken as caught," he said. Auckland was tho only place he knew of where the system was not employed. Jn Sydney the fish were sold in crates. The retailers were not compelled to take them. There would certainly be no in crease in prico. The old system, too, was not fair to the country trade. If the city retailers took what they wanted, then the country dealers and passenger steamers in port would have to take what was left. Tho company intended to alter prices every day, according to the -.apply available on the market. A solu tion of the whole difficulty might possibly be found in auctioning the supplies every day, a procedure which had been con sidered.