CONTAINER CHARGE JUST

Chronicle (Levin), 30 March 1949, Page 5

CONTAINER CHARGE JUST

Press AssociOrtion)

Arbitrator Gives judgment In Dispute

(Per

WELLINGTON, March 30. "I have come w uie aiennii/e conciusioA umi it is> jusg .aua equivaoie uiai. some separate cnur^e stroma uc lfiaae ior vegeva 'Ore ana iruio ooAWimns," says mr. u. G. cr./Wao^i, wtiu arpivratfea1 in, tne reeent cuspuGe netween growers ana revaLiS, tn a juagmeht deiiverea u5aay. He suggesos tnat, witn iew 'j.-x^eptions, tnere shoul'd be two oiiargek or sixpence tor larger and .itore vaiuabm sacks and cases, and otireepence for smaiier and less valuaoie ones. ''Tnese cnarges snould be unjform tnroughout tne ijominion and tne re&ane'r is to oe idit to reseii the container to-. the growers or to the sack and case companies to the bcst advantage." Mi. Watson says- that the parties snouid be alDle- to impiemenc these aecisions for a simple system of container. charges oy voluntary d^reement. ii, nowever, contpuiot any Kind is neoessary to ( give effect to hisi deei'sion- tne omy enectiVe 'method will be by regulauions made under tne appropnate Statute. In his decision, Mr. Watson says: "it is not in tne1 interests of the nationai economy that there should ae a waste oi timbe'r or jute, evtn when they may be in free supply. Tne imposition.-,,of a container charge should, ehsiire that, as far as practicablb, -'fruit cases and vegetable containers should not be destroyed or lost to the industry 3,1 tsr us'C. "There should.be- a reduction in che cost of production, with conseauential benefit to the consumer, if prod'ucers are encouraged to use secondhand containers, which should be available at a lower cost than new containers. Well-made containers and boxes can be_ used many times over and it is desirabie that this should be encouraged as far as possible. ' . "If the retailer pays no container charge, there is a very natural ten--dency either ,to destroy the container or dispbse of it for fuel. If, on the other hand, he pays a container charge, he realises he haS an asset of some value") and will seek to reeover as good a price as possible."'