SIX MONTHS TOO LATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24368, 2 September 1942, Page 2

SIX MONTHS TOO LATE

POSITION IN AUCKLAND SUPPLIES MAY CEASE While strong criticism was expressed in some quarters of another reversal of policy involving what they alleged was a breach of faith on the part of the Government, persons concerned in the marketing of potatoes, commenting last night on the fixation of prices of new potatoes, stated that, apart from doing serious injury to the few growers who specialised in extraearly crops, it would have very little effect as far as the general public was concerned. Auctioneering interests were little perturbed by the now regulation, which, they said, would merely add slightly to the confusion caused by other recent Government attempts to deal with the I vegetable supply problem. Like pre-1 vious attempts, the new decision was about six months too late to be fair to the growers. Growers who specialised in extraearly crops had, it was stated, been completely deluded by the Minister of Agriculture. In a statement on potato prices made on July 21, the Hon. J. G. Barclay had clearly stated that prices for immature potatoes delivered prior to October 1 would be left free, with control operating after October 1 at between £3O and £35 a ton. New potatoes were realising from lOd to Is 7-Jd per lb. at auction in Auckland yesterday, the average price being about Is 3d per lb., equivalent to £l4O a ton. Now they are to be reduced to a maximum of £4 10s a ton. That new potatoes would probably go right off the market in the meantime was the general opinion, because the difference between the newly-announced price for September and the previously announced price for October was so little that growers would prefer to leave the crops in the ground and take the advantage of the increase in weight during the extra weeks of growth. The Is 6d per lb. which was the average wholesale price for new potatoes last week was equal to £l6B a ton, compared with the highest permitted wholesale price in England this year of £3l ss. A spokesman for the retail trade said that, in the 1 ight _of that comparison, the situation in New Zealand had obviously been getting out of hand. Reference to the Herald of August 30 last year provided a comparison of prices between the seasons. In a report on the City Markets of the previous day it was stated that fair supplies of new potatoes brought very high prices. The prices were 4d to 61d per lb. for No. 1 grade, and 14d to 3d per lb. for No. 2. WORK FOR WOMEN GAP TO BE FILLED (0.C.) WAIPAWA, Tuesday The Mayor of Waipawa, Mr. F. Eagle, warned a public meeting of the Women's War Service Auxiliary at Waipawa, that the position as affecting available manpower liad reached a critical stage and was definitely going to be worse. He urged the gathering to face the fact that women, as far as their physical capabilities would permit, would have to fill the gap caused through men being withdrawn from industry to join the armed forces. The 'women, he said, would have a full-time job in meeting the position that had arisen, and minds would need to be made up that there was still much more work to be done by the womenfolk in the prosecution of the war. INCREASED REVENUE HARBOUR BOARD ACCOUNTS "Cash receipts for the month .of August and for the 11 months past are again impressive in their favourable volume in comparison with the same periods of the previous year," said the treasurer, Mr. Charles Garratt, in his monthly report to tho Auckland Harbour Board yesterday. "It is satisfactory to see the figures keeping up," commented the chairman, Mr. Hendry Luke. He noted that the general account was in debit, but stated that that was due to the working of one account against another and would be rectified before the end of the year DESERTION FROM SHIP (0.C.) CHRTSTCHURCH, Tuesday Charged with deserting from a British ship Denis Driscoll, a fireman, aged 19, Thomas Grainger Marshall Nimmo, a fireman, aged 21, and John Elston, a seaman, aged 25, pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment with hard labour. The men said that the condition of the ship was filthy, and they offered to return by any ship except the one from which they had deserted. PICTORIAL EXHIBITION An exhibition of pictorial matter collected over many ycrs by Mr. George Finn, of Auckland, was opened yesterday afternoon in the Colonial Mutual Building, Queen Street, by tho Mayor, Mr. J. A. C. Allum. The exhibition is being held under the auspices of the New Zealand branch of the British American Co-operation movement. Tho pictures include portraits of celebrities, contemporary views of notable events and scenes of Maori life. COMMISSIONS WON Advice has been received by Mr. and Mrs. W. A. L. Chapman, 40 Tainui Road, Devonport, that their elder son. Vaughan Chapman, has been granted a commission in the Fleet Air Arm. Enlisting in this service early in 1941, Sub-Lieutenant Chapman, who is aged 20, left New Zealand for Britain in July last year and was trained there and later in Canada. He was educated at Vrfuxhall School and Takapuna Grammar School. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Oolbeck, of Awhitu, have received advice that their son, Ralph A. Colbeck, has been granted a commission in the Fleet Air Arm. Sub-Lieutenant Colbeck, who has iust reached the age of 20, was educated at King's College, where he played in the first fifteen. Later he played for the Takapuna senior Rugby team when it won the competition. He left New Zealand in July of last vear and was trained in Britain and Canada.