PROFIT ON ORANGE SALES

Taranaki Daily News, 10 September 1934, Page 5

PROFIT ON ORANGE SALES

RETAIL PRICE THOUGHT TOO HIGH. POSSIBILITY OF EXPLANATION. By Telegraph—Press Association. Invercargill, Sept. 8. The question whether the public is being asked to pay - too high a price for Australian oranges is one which the president of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce, Mr. K. B. Tapley, is concerned, for he considers that there is too great a discrepancy between the wholesale and retail prices, unless there is some explanation of which the public is at present ignorant. He mentioned that in July a deputation waited on the Mayor, who was asked to urge the Government to remove the embargo, The president of the Retail Fruiters’ Association said that the representations were made by the fruiterers not from self-interest but because people were deeply concerned, mentioning that customers frequently came into the shops asking for oranges only to find - the price prohibitive. It was mentioned by several speakers, said Mr. Tapley, that if sufficient oranges were allowed on the market from Australia the retail prices would be appreciably reduced instead of being at luxury prices. It seemed to Mr, Tapley that retailers had fixed a certain selling price which did not give any apparent' relief to consumers, and v some explanation was called for. He qqoted figures to show that on a case of oranges costing 23s there was a profit of 17s, and declared that on the face of if the retailers’ profit seemed too great.