FRUIT AT CHRISTCHURCH

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 9, 6 March 1930, Page 3

FRUIT AT CHRISTCHURCH

COMPLAINT BY RETAILERS. CHRISTCHURCH, March 5. T{j|s .piofjning auctioneers at the fruit in ark eta decided to ‘ the ■ recently arrived Shipment pf ’baninas from Samoa and Siu?Tisland instead of setting a fixed a$ iomcrly. A large number ot fjUmiMs' cgudrined ami appointed one wan to buy in each market with a limit Sxed, but tHc ’buyer was unable to make purchases at his limits until the Iftf of bhe sale. Fruiterers claim that new mpl&ods are being introduced Hdce' Messrs’ Turners and Growers, an Auckland firm, obtained control ot Maui Pomare shipments. They state that Turners and Growers’ accepted tender was 11s 9d per case, l" na freight, approximately ss. Retailers considered that reasonable prices were 23s per case for Niue and 2(is per case for' Samoan bananas of good quality, which they argue should have alloyed amalp profit. ' The. retailers state that country orders were filled to-day at • fees from' 20s ’to 32s (id per mtse ■without apparent bids at auction. tfler tljij thf local retailers bought 10 casqa at their own fixed limits. Fruiterers complain generally against the Gdvdrnment allowing the Auckland

merchants to got control of fruit ship nicnts 1)V tlio Mui Pomaro and declare that the move to force up the P' is one result of this control. On u - half of the auctioneers it is conterulcd that an auction sale is the tan means of fixing the true market v ; , »-■ and deny any arrangement with i *-i * land agents to fix the price of Hurt.