ISLAND BANANAS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20969, 7 March 1930, Page 12

ISLAND BANANAS.

POSITION IN CHRISTCHURCH. PROTEST BY RETAILERS. (Special to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 6. There was considerable discussion among the Christchurch retail fruitgrowers to-day as a result of their actions yesterday in boycotting to a certain extent the sale of Samoan and Niue Island bananas in the markets. While they have decided upon no definite campaign it seems to be generally agreed among them that the continuance of similar tactics will result in satisfaction. A city retailer with a large trade pointed out that the Samoan bananas are bought by an Auckland firm at 11a 9d a case at Apia, Allowing 5s a case for freighting to Christchurch it was clear that the prices asked in the markets yesterday (27s to 335) were absolutely unreasonable. As all the merchants professed to be commission agents trading on a 10 per cent commission basis, a figure in that neighbourhood would show them a substantial profit. “ Whether the fruit is sold by auction or at a fixed rate is immaterial,” he said, “ so long as the price is determined by the quantities available. If the Maui Pomare, as was originaly intended, was running only to southern ports, it would make no difference in the matter of high prices. The fact that the Government has sold the whole of the supply of Samoan bananas to an Auckland firm for 12 months has left it in that firm’s hands to send what it likes to the South Island. _ As Auckland firms also control the Fiji shipments it means that Auckland can practically dictate to the South Island as. to what quantities it shall receive and what prices shall be asked. The solution, to the present trouble, he thought, lay in an amicable agreement between the Christchurch and Auckland merchants whereby Christchurch would be supplied with a set quantity of Samoan bananas at a fixed price for the remaining period of the Auckland firm’s contract. This would ensure, as far as Christchurch was concerned, no loss to the contractor as there was every indication that there would be a shortage of other bananas for the next six months.

Two merchants handled bananas this morning at the market when altogether 350 cases were sold. They were all Samoan and brought up to 25s a case for fruit of the same quality as that which sold yesterday for 33s a case. One merchant still holds 100 cases which are the last of the Maui Pomare’s shipment. On Monday 1500 cases of Cook Island bananas will be landed, but neither the merchants nor the retailers expect that there will be trouble over them.