SALE OF FOOD.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 861, 6 July 1910, Page 5

SALE OF FOOD.

MARKETS AND HAWKERS. ALLEGED FISH-TRADE RINGS. The municipal markets question was threshed out at the Municipal Conference yesterday morning, and the kindred question of hawking in the streets -'was also dealt with. • •Mr. C. Allison, Mayor of Christchurch, moved: That where municipal markets are established in boroughs of not loss than 10,000 inhabitants, all wholesale sales of fish and fruit shall bo held in" such markets. This was seconded by Mr. J. J. Niveii (Napier).

Hard on the Auctioneers. In the course of discussion Mr. Miller (Hastings) said that if the motion were carried it would bo hard upon auctioneers who had spent large sums of money on erecting good and sanitary buildings for-sale purposes. Mr. Pago (Eketahuna) opposed the motion. It would give a monopoly to the municipality, a step for which there was no need. .Inspection could be effected without it, • It would be unfair and would serve no good purpose. Mr. J. Wilson (Dunedin) also opposed the.motion. It would be enough to give the municipality control of the sale of fish.

The Hon. J. Rarr, M.L.C. (Sumner), supported the motion. Ho did not s.«: why delegates should concern themselves about the investments of auctioneers in business. There.were rings in Christchurch in . the fish and other trades, which. could not now bo controlled, but could be controlled if the motion were carried'into effect. It was also, desirable in order to facilitate inspection in the interest of public health: The auctioneers would still be ablo to sell in the public market. Fish had become a luxury, although New: Zealand waters, were teeming with fish. The caretaker of the market should also bo a qualified inspector.

Fruitgrowars' Point of View. Mr. T. Pettit, Mayor of Nelson, supported tho motion. Such a market should meet a long-felt want. Speaking as one who came from a great fruit-growing district; ho emphasised the inconvenience and wastefulness' of tho present system,'which greatly increased the cost of the produce to tho consumer:

Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh' (Wellington) strongly favoured tho motion. Growers lost all..control over their produce when it reached tho auction room. Tho auctioneers seemed to delight in offering great quantities of potatoes, say, on . on© day and thus preventing the grower getting a fair price. . In this climate fruit and vegetables should bo cheap, but owing to bad distribution they were dear. The reform was of course opposed by those who were interested in private sale rooms. Every reform injured somebody.

Auckland Experience. Mr. Bagnall, Mayor of' Auckland, in opposing the motion, said that fish was cheap in Auckland. 'A market" would mean delay in. getting fish to tho consumer, and thus it would lose its freshness. If they had cold storage, the cost would be increased. As'for fruit tho mistake of the Nelson growers was in throwing great quantities on the market at once. In Auckland;they had cold storage, and thus overcame tho difficulty. A public market had been tried in Auckland and failed. Mr. H. J. Otlcy (Ghristclnireh)'supported tho motion.' Christchurch people wanted a market, but did not want to force other places to'follow their example. ' '; Mr. J. V. Brown, M.P., Mayor of Napier, said he would like to see municipal markets, and cool storage, for fruit and fish, so as to 'prevent a glut of supplies. Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, Mayor of Grey Lynn, said \i would be far better for the Government than for the municipalities to control tho fish industry. He was prepared to support any measure for tho better inspection of fish and fruit, buti tho. course proposed in the motion would deal a severe and un-called-for blow at private- enterprise. Tho motion was carried. A further Christchurch remit was also carried, » s follows:— That where municipal markets a.ro established, all fresh fish shall pass through such markets for inspection beforo being exposed for sale.