INTERNAL MARKETING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26233, 17 August 1946, Page 9

INTERNAL MARKETING

DIVISION’S ACTIVITIES DISCUSSION IN HOUSE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Aug. 16. The activities of the Internal Marketing Division were again discussed in the House ot Representatives today when the annual report and accounts of the division were given further consideration. Opposition members complained of inequitable distribution of the commodities handled by the division, while Government speakers claimed that it was only because of the operations of the division that these commodities had been available to consumers at a reasonable price. Mr A. S. Richards (Govt., Roskill) said the Internal Marketing Division was functioning to-day largely at the request of interested parties whose products were being handled by the division. By its daily activities the division endeavoured to see that the whole of the consuming public received a fair share of commodities that were in short supply. New Zealand had been better served by the division than under merchant control. Mr H. T. Morton (Oppn., Waitemata) said that consumers had been shockingly treated by the Internal ' Marketing Division. Pineapples were selling in Wellington at ss, and similar pineapples were being retailed in Sydney at Is 2d. Never had fruit been so badly distributed as to-day, said Mr Morton The division was not distributing fruit in an equitable manner. There was not a housev/ife who would enthuse ovei ihe work of the division. Mr C. R. Petrie (Govt. Otahuhu) said that the division procured a shipment of pineapples, but did not fix the retail price. Criticism was not directed to inefficiency of the division, but to the fact that its activities would curb interference with the timehonoured privilege of private enterprise to exploit the consuming public. Mr E. B. Corbett (Oppn-, Egmont) said that the producers had been fighting for years, and would continue to do so for control of their produce by the producers themselves and producer co-operatives. Mr Osborne said that the Opposition criticism of the division was milder this year than in previous years. The report was referred to the Government for consideration.