MUNICIPAL FISH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1563, 5 October 1912, Page 4

MUNICIPAL FISH.

' FIRST DAY'S SALE. At G o'clock yesterday morning .tin 'Municipal Fish Market was opened' for business for tho first time. There werd no formalities. The doors wore simply opened and those of the public who happened to Iro about, drifted in. Tho trawler Energy, which had gono to Cloudy Bay on Thursday morning in search 'of supplies for tho municipal market, returned in .time for tho opening of the doors, and was met nt Jcrvois Quay Wharf by Mr. 0. J. Alward, tho newlyappointed fish salesman, and a handful of spectators. Tho trawler brought 25 cases of fish, which wero duly token into tho market. Tho fish were Uicro, but buyers did not crowd tho market—they drifted in by twos and threes. Amongst the early cullers who drifted in were the Mayor (Mr. D. M'Laren), Councillor R. Fletcher (chairman of tho Markets Committee), and Councillor F. Cohen. The fish wore 6oon sold, tho best bundles being disposed of in a vory short time. By 7.301 a.m. tho only fish left of tho Energy's trawl wero tho torakihi, all the skate, hake, gurnet, cod, and mackerel having been snapped up by tho public Owing to unfavourable weather, tho Energy had a bad trawl, being confined to Cloudy Bay. The catch consisted principally of tornkihi, flat fish being conspicuous by their absence. Good prices wore obtained, torakihi fetching a shilling (i' to 4Jlb.), gurnet, one shilling a bundle (four or five fish), IttTge cod Gd. ench, and ling Id. per lb. Tho nvorago price of ■ tho fish was 3d. per lb., but this, it is expected, will be reduced when the market is in full going order, and supplies come in .from several sources. The Energy leaves for another trawl to-day, and will return either by Monday or Tuesday, according to the weather and trawling prospects. On tho first day's business, Councillor Fletcher expressed himself ns being well satisfied, and prophesied that tho municipal fish market would soon become a popular and profitable venture.