RETAIL FRUITERERS ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1284, 13 November 1911, Page 5

RETAIL FRUITERERS ASSOCIATION.

$ THE DEADLOCK. Mr. G. 11. Gray, secretory of the'Weihngton K-etail Fruiterers' Association, writes as follows, under date November 11:—"In your issue of to-day you had mi article headed 'Deadlock,' regarding fruit men and auctioneers, in which several errors occur. You speak of the Fruit Buyers' Association, 1 presume you mean tho Wellington liotail Fruiterers , Association, of which I am the secretary; and further on in yonr artiolo you eay 'the associated buyers signed an agreement not to give more than Us, pw case.' To this I give an emphatic denial. No such action has been taken by us, and I trust you will spa.ro me tho space to explain tho position in your columns. "Tho retailers at the present time rely on the so-called Wellington Fruit Exchange to supply them with stock for then- trade. There is no other source of piipply, and the firms comprising the same have, in tho past, conducted a-id 'liclatMl 3"st how and when the sale should toko place. "On Friday our members and tho oilier buyers decided by word of month nt the market that, if tho firms did nc-t put (Jig Cnliiormau apples up by auction, they would refuse to buy, as a protest to the practice of fixing a price on commodities. r,ov, as regards the cost of thc<o apples, your informant states that Uper case would iiunn a dead loss to tho' shippers. I'Jus class of applo can l w bought retail at 1(1 cents (5<1.) in 'Frisco and can be put. on the ship j,t is. 2d 'm-r rase. Freight to Wellington in crol store costs 2s. did. per caso, duty Jd. per lb. (Is. Sd per case), landins and carting to market fid. per caw; total cost to Weiington, Ss. B}d. (this is outside cort; I have allowed 401k for each rasc , and many are loss weight). Price fixed by all chants! "In case yon should bo misled by tho typewritten letter from the shippers, that dm interested firms have shown mo n d doubt ess jvmr reporter, let mo ? tato that two firms arc prepared to import these goods next «■**,„, and guarantee to sell them nt 9s. Gd. to 10s. per c .4' jf our association will pledge ihtir support \\o have only just formed our o«Win! turn, ami the skirmish on Friday show, what combination can do; our number will grow, and when wo feel s-trn,'.? enwieli (he fight will bouiii, and coi.t u 1" until tho existing state of affairs is do .i away with and n mnnicipa.l wholes,!, market established (hat shall p> both grower and retailer n fair deal and lh<! consumer a fair price. Tmstinp you will (iiul Mwee for (fiis letter, and tha ik jm you in anticipation." i«»wm,