THE FISHERMEN’S WHALE.

Southland Times, Issue 20446, 26 March 1928, Page 3

THE FISHERMEN’S WHALE.

To the Editor. Sir,—l note in the Times under date, March 23, “Serious position,” “No outlet for fish,” “Freezers full,” and so on and so forth, followed by the statement that the fishermen will be unemployed if the hot weather lasts much longer. The whole trouble is that the merchants are charging far too much. Groper at 8d per lb is ridiculous, also 1/7 per bottle for oysters. The remedy is quite simple. There is a good profit at 41b for groper and 1/per bottle (or less) for oysters retail if there is such a glut on. Consumption of same would more than double; but, of course, the merchants will probably want the higher price for less work. To digress a little the butchers and bacon retailers (and wholesalers for that matter) are on the same job. Pork and bacon carcases are being purchased from the growers at 5d per lb. The curera are chock(-a-block anrj still they come, and yet the consumer is forced to pay 1/4 for his bacon and (as advertised in your paper) from 9d to lid for pork, thus limiting the outlet. The grower does not make anything at 5d per lb, but the middlemen are making a very handsome profit. Its about time the Householders’ Committee came to light and straightened things up a bit. I maintain that lOd per lb retail for bacon at the present grower’s return allows a fair profit, as the merchants would then get the larger turnover. And the least said about ewe mutton the better, I suppose.—l am, etc., “ANTI-PROFITEER.” P.S.: Being a farmer, I know that the farmers’ complaint is not so much that he is getting so low a return for bacon and pork carcases, but that the consumer is not getting the benefit of the low prices. He’s not being allowed to by the middleman, Ditto fish products. DAYLIGHT SAVING. To the Editor, Sir,—lf “Truthful” cares to pay a visit to the Hokonui dairy factory he will find On investigation that my statement made at the Farmers’ Union meeting, regarding the distance milk has to be brought by motor lorry, is perfectly correct. Also the lorry does not pass a factory en route.—l am, etc., J. KING. To the Editor. Sir,—Some time ago “Slim Jim” had a letter in your issue dealing with the ignorance of occasional correspondence appearing in your paper in letter form. Well I consider the letter in your paper to-day written by “Live and Let Live” is the finest example of ignorance and stupidity that has ever appeared in your Columns. He tells us he occasionally moves about in the country. Surely it must be when he comes out of his burrow in the evening. This brainy person seta himself up m a judge and tells us we have not the mentality to think for ourselves, in the face of every* farmers organization in New Zealand. He would tell us that we condemn the Daylight Saving Bill just for spite. Let this gentleman turn out at three-thirty in the morning, milk forty cows, fetch and take his herd from and back to the pastures, catch his horse, feed thirty pigs, have his breakfast ayd then drive five miles to the factory, etc. He is there at eight o’clock (old time). Now this brainy person tells us we have not the moral power to work

an hour less and for a good reason. Why? It has been pointed out on numerous occasions we cannot start milking earlier in the evening, as the heat is deterimental to good milk. Therefore if we cannot start milking up to the new time, we cannot finish our work any earlier than before Sidey time was instituted. Our friend tells us he does not get enough sunshine under the old time. Surely a person with his great mentality knows the sun rises at four o’clock in the summer time and surely he with so great an incentive does not require Sidey to put his clock on an hour earlier before he can get out of bed if he desires to obtain a little extra sun. Now, Sir, we as farmers do not want to interfere with the rights of the townspeople. If they require daylight saving go ahead and keep it, if. they can. However next year when the whips are cracking I am prepared to bet our learned friend we poor weak-minded, ignorant cockies will run the Daylight Saving Bill to a frazzle and we also realize there will be a large number of level headed men in the towns to back us up.—l am, etc., STUMPJACK. Tuatapere, March 24, 1928.