INTERNAL MARKETING

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23029, 21 October 1944, Page 4

INTERNAL MARKETING

Diverse Opinions Aired (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 20 Consideration of the Estimates for internal marketing was continued in the House of Representatives this morning. Opposition speakers criticising' various aspects of the Department’s activities, while a number of Government members spoke in its defence. Mr J. T. Watts (National, Riccarton) referred to the shortages of apples, honey, and other foodstuffs and said there was a good deal of feeling among retailers over the fact that they had to bear the loss on bad oranges. Mr A. S. Richards (Govt., Roskill) said that before the Internal Marketing Division took over, the retailers had to bear the whole of the losses due to bad fruit. The Department had reduced that loss by repacking before distribution. Apples were obtainable for 6d a pound, a price which was unknown at this .time of year formerly. Mr D. W. Coleman (Govt., Gisborne) defended the Government on the grounds that it provided equitable distribution throughout New Zealand. The Hon. W. Nash said that a magnificent job had been done in producing foodstuffs for the Americans and, when they moved on, there had been a surplus of supplies. The Department had been asked to dispose if these and, because there was a lack of demand, there had been losses. The Department was being criticised for this, but it would be criticised if it had refused to handle the produce. Ho claimed that the Department had done good work and that mistakes had been magnified out of all proportion. The Minister of Marketing (the Hon. B. Roberts), replying to a point raised by Mr Bodkin (National, Central Otago), said that the Government must continue to demand that beekeepers hand a proportion of their honey to the Department because, if it did not do so, it would break faith with the prisoners of war, for whom 88,000 parcels contaning honey were regularly required.