STRONG PROTEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25047, 10 November 1944, Page 7

STRONG PROTEST

EETAILEES AT MAEKETS CONTAINER CHARGE PLAN Opposition to a Government proposal to introduce charges for fruit and vegetable containers was expressed at a mass meeting of buyers at the City Markets yesterday morning. About 250 buyers left the auctioneers' stands to attend the meeting, and business was suspended for about 20 minutes. The meeting unanimously decided to protest against the charges and refuse to pay them if imposed or take delivery,of the goods concerned. An explanation that the proposal emanated from a conference in Wellington on May 3 on the conservation of flicks and eases was made by the secretary of the Auckland Retail Fruiterers' Association, Mr C. C. King. Although at a Dominion conference of retail fruiterers on July 2fl the scheme had been strenuously opposed, the association had heen informed by the Internal Marketing Division that a further conference would be held in Wellington next Tuesday to discuss operative details. A letter from the Minister of Marketing. Mr Roberts, stating that a container charge would be included within the existing ceilings or contract prices, uas read by Mr King. The letter added that the total price paid to the grower would represent payment for the produce and the container. A retailer would he entitled to the full return of the container charge if the container was returned in the same order as received. Retailers would he permitted to base their gross percentage margins on the overall cost of the container and produce, and auctioneers would be permitted to charge their commission on the over-all price. If a case was damaged in opening

there would be no rebate, and retailers would hare to pay cartage cos '£. return the containers, said Mr -k ,n ß; The scheme lent itself to disputes about the grade of sacks. . . , The president of the association, Mi ,J. S. Roe, said the scheme would be » gross imposition, and ho likened it to retailers charging customers for pa pel bags. Retailers would continue to fight such schemes. . After the position had been explained to Chinese and Indian buyers by Mr Gun Leong and .Mr P. N. Patel. a unanimous resolution ot protest WHS carried. The resolution stated that the meeting considered the scheme eontrary to the practice of price"_ stabilisation', as the value of container's was considered in computing the groucis returns and the retailers' gross profits. A container charge would result in an increased return to the grower and a corresponding loss to the retailor, as the resale of containers constituted a percentage of the retailers' profits as computed by the Price '1 ribunal. The resolution proposed that '■ tllf J charge was put into operation Auckland retailers would refuse to pay it or take delivery of the goods relating to it. LOURDES PILGRIMAGE A description of a visit to Lourdes before the war, with sidelights on the life in the famous French town, was given bv Mr Justice Cailan in an address to the Catholic Men's Luncheon Club vesterdav. He emphasised the difference between going as a member of a pilgrimage and as an ordinary tourist and described the scenes during the devotions as tense and gripping. Kaeh pilgrimage was at the shrine for five full days. The usual population of the town was about 10,000, but it was not unusual for as many as 120,000 to be there at one time. Many would have to sleep in the open, but if the weather were wet the churches would he thrown open to them.