THE FISH MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1726, 18 April 1913, Page 4

THE FISH MARKET.

♦ • LOSS OP .£l2 IN SIX MONTHS. At last night's meeting of tho Ci'.'y Council, Councillor It. Fletcher, chairman of Hie Markets Coiuniittee, submitted the following report on tho working of tho Pish Market for six mouths ended March 31, 1913.—Building cost, iUSO; receipts, .£BO2 Os. lid. Expenditure-Wages, JCII3 i3b. Od.; fish, .£713 ss. Gd.; telephone and sundries, JCI7 15s. 5d.; total, JSU Us. M. Loss on six months, .£l2 13s. 6d. Tho committee further report on tho business of the market from January 15 to April 15:—Total number of sales, 4000; total weight of Dsh, 13 tons) amount of Bales, ,£283 Ss. Gd.; average price of sale, flat llsh, Cd. per lb.; average price, round fish, .'id. per lb. Tho committee submit tho following comparison of business done from October to December with January to April:—Total number of sales, 6215; total weight of lish, If tons 5 cwt.j amount of sales, ,£317 ss. Id.; average price per sale, 12.25 d.; averago price per lb., 2.38(1. Councillor Fletcher said the loss of .£l2 13s. 6d. over (ho six months' period was accounted for by tho fact that the trawler had been laid up or out of commission for homo time. Now tho steamer would bo running again, and he hoped tho supply t pf fish would be plentiful and constant: ]*t might be found very shortly that tho city., should obtain a municipal trawler to ensure that tho supply would bo good. He repudiated (ho suggestion mado by a Labour candidate for tho council that the market was being purposely 'mismanaged in order to make it impossible lo nave a general municipal market established. Councillor Tregear seconded tho motion to adopt the report. Ho supported Mr. l'letchers statement that there had been no mismanagement. The reason why tho market had made a loss was that it had lo depend for ils supply of fish on privato Mnircos. Councillor Shirtcliffc pointed out that the statement made no allowance for interest and depreciation. If this were a lowed lor, tho total loss would show at L iuO. Tho report was adopted.