TEA PRICE REDUCTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26917, 1 November 1948, Page 4

TEA PRICE REDUCTION

DEALERS TO BE REIMBURSED P.A. WELLINGTON, Oct. 30. “ Mr Barker has again been barking up the wrong trge,” said the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Nordmeyer. to-day, replying to a statement of the secretary of the Master Grocers’ Federation. Mr R. M. Barker, protesting against the retail trade being asked to absorb the loss of 6d a pound on existing stocks of tea. There wasno intention of asking the grocers to absorb the loss of 6d a pound. This would obviously be unfair when they had been previously required to make refunds to the Public Account when the price of tea was increased. The procedure to be followed by merchants, tea packers and retailers in claiming reimbursement on stocks of tea was outlined by the Food and Rationing Controller. Mr A. J. Costelloe ‘‘Tea packers and merchants.” said Mr Costelloe, “ are to declare stocks on hand and in transit to retailers as at October 31, and to forward declarations to the Food Rationing Controller, Wellington.” Retailers are to make a similar declaration as to actual stocks on hand, but retailers’ returns are to be forwarded to the local rationing officer in the district concerned.