THE PEOPLES' FISH.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1578, 23 October 1912, Page 3

THE PEOPLES' FISH.

HOW THE,MARKET FARES,

During the first ten days of the Municipal Eish Market's existence as a commercial business, 2800 sales were made, .the returns being .Clio. The Council's sharo of tho receipts .amounted to £15. Tho .nvorago price lor the fish per pound works "out.at2.Bßd. and the average purchase 10.9 d. The municipal fish market, is now a going concern, and the novelty of the institution is beginning to wear off. During a short discussion on the relative advantages of buying one's fish at the publio market and at the retail shops, » representative of Tun Dominion gathered from Mr. Aylward (the'eorporntion salesman) that the saving to the public was something like 30 per cent. Against this, ho pointed out, one had to take into account, in assessing the comparative attractions -of either method of purchase, the fact that the shop lish was scaled, cleaned, wrapped in paper, tied with and, if necessary, delivered to the customer if the value of tho purchase was not less than one shilling. The same fish that cost one shilling in the shop could lie purchased at the market for ninepence, but it. was not scaled or cleaned A great many people, said Mr. Aylward, would not be bothered with the ' trouble of cleaning the fish, and this disinclination would probably influence them in their choice between buying at the shop and going down to the market. Notwithstanding this, he had no difficulty in disposing of the fish—"l had a lady hero in a motor-car the other day," he said. The space in the market was limited, otherwise it might be possible to copy the idea adopted in public markets in the Old Country and in Sydney of allowing a man to take up a cleaning stand, charging a penny per fish. Even with this small addition to the cost, the customer would bo twopence better off than he would be if he got his fish at tho retailers, and he could always bring a basket or a wrapper to carry, his purchases in. How do you fix your prices? "I price tho fish according to instructions from tho suppliers," said Mr. Aylward, and the corporation takes a 10 per cent commission on tho sales. Where no instructions are sent, I use my own discretion."