MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 871, 24 November 1916, Page 9

MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

MELBOURNE'S EXPERIENCE. Mr \V. J. Beanland, a member of the Christchurch City Council, who has just returned from a five weeks' holiday in Australia, made some remarks to a Sun representative concerning the municipal markets of Melbourne and the attitude of the people thereto. Mr Beanland, being a member of the Markets Committee of the council, is interested in the subject. The municipal market in Melbourne, said Mr Beanland, occupies an area larger than that bounded by Hereford, Cashel, and Colombo Streets, and the river. The buildings thereon are very simple and inexpensive, consisting in the main of shelters for carts. The latter back up under the shelter, and the people stand on an elevated kerbing and make their purchases from the back of the cart. There are a number of shops and stalls rented by growers

and others, but these, said Mr Bean-j land, have proved a failure, and arej mostly untenanted; nearly all the: business is done with the carts. The market opens at half-past 4Jn the; morning, and the selling commences' at 5. Between that hour and 7 the: place is crowded with the wholesale! buyers, but from 7 till 10 a.m. the purchasing is done by the general public, thousands of people being in attendance. The market has proved such i a success that its extension had been decided on, and the old hay" market was to be closed up, and the site used for the purpose. Mr Beanland remarked that the new hay market would be on the site of an ! old cemetery, near the Flagstaff Gar-1 dens; this was the second time that a cemetery site had been utilised, the old Williamstown Cemetery having been transformed some time ago. One of the reasons for the success of the market, in the opinion of Mr Beanland, is the low tram fares prevailing, but more important than this was the willingness of the people to carry their goods home, and thus save the cost of delivery, and until.

the people of Christchnrch displayed a similar disposition no market here .would be a success. In Sydney Mr ; Beanland made some inquiries regarding the State fish shops. He ' found the price of fish higher than in Christchurch, but thought that ! this might be due to the fact that the j State trawlers were laid up on acj count of the coal strike.