PUBLIC BEING "TRIMMED" ALL THE TIME

Chronicle (Levin), 8 January 1947, Page 5

PUBLIC BEING "TRIMMED" ALL THE TIME

WELLIWGTON, Jan. 7. ''The puhlic are being 'trinimed'' all the time — I laugli when I hear these hroadcasts of ceiling prices," said Mr. T. Brown, of Wellington,chairman of the New Zealand Fruit and Produce Merchants and AucJaoneers' Association, today. He said retailers ask ceiling price irrespective of what they paid in the market. He personally had been asked tenpenee for a cabbage whicb he kuew had been sold to a Chinese retailer at one shilling per sack. Mr. Brown associated hirnself with the recent statement by Mr. J. Turner in Auckland who said a number of people with knowledge of the trade considered that perishable- lines such, as fruit and vegetables should not be subject to ceiling prices and that thelaw of supply and demand should be allowed free course. Mr. BroAvn, however, differed from Mr. Turner when he said' that ff 'eontrol was in,evitable it should be applied only to essential lines such as; potatoes, onions, oranges, lemons,, bananas and apples, Ceiling prices had resulted in unsatisfactory rei turns to growers and insufficienfc sup- - plies of many lines on tlie market.. The- best way to enccurage production in New Zealand was either to' allow a free market or to guarantee returns that would ensure a payable return to ^ producers.