THE FISH MARKET PROJECT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18673, 30 September 1922, Page 7

THE FISH MARKET PROJECT.

Onge again the question of the establishment of a fish market has been considered by the City Council and' once again it has beei/ referred back to the committee which has been more or less fruitlessly grappling with it. Doubtless the matter is not quite as simple as some people may imagine, but as it has now been under consideration for some months a greater approach to finality than has been effected might reasonably have been expected. The council is apparently hesitating between several views and has difficulty in,making up its mind. There is much to be said in favour of the suggestion that a beginning should he made in a small way and that such a beginning should take the form of a retail market. The patronage accorded to those fishermen who have intermittently for some time past retailed their catches at the wharf has proved that a distinctly large* demand exists for fresh fish at a reasonable price. If the fisherman and the consumer can be brought together business can be done, but if the project is saddled with the large outlay, contemplated by the committee it is questionable whether fish can he made available at a price which will he regarded by the consumers as sufficiently low to compensate for the inconvenience of procuring supplies and taking them home. It may ho possible for the City Council to secure the enactment of legislation compelling all fish to go through the municipal market, but such a step may be attended by two possible disadvantages. The price of fish may he made prohibitive to a large number of the public by such an arrangement and the fishermen cannot be compelled to send their products to the city market. If the city is to embark in the fish business, the wisest plan will probably be to establish a central retail market in a suitable position. The venture,

being in the nature of an experiment, should not be too ambitious.' A decision on the subject is overdue, and if the council cannot see its way to adopt a definite scheme it may just as well cease discussing the matter.