THE FRUIT TRADE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 93, 14 January 1919, Page 6

THE FRUIT TRADE

RETAILERS' GRIEVANCES DEMANDS FOR REDRESS Tho trouble between the fruit merchants and the retailers who have to buy fruit and vegetables in the markets in Wellington advanced another stage yesterday morning.. The incident which brought the trouble to a head has now closed. The buyers have withdrawn the boycott, against the firm which had displeased them in the matter of a sale of black currants. But the buyers have taken ndvnntngo of the opportunity to have some sort of a settlement of a number of other grievances which they havo had for some time. These were thrashed out at a conference between the merchants and representatives of the Fruiterers Association yesterday morning. A statement "of the causes of dissatisfaction among the retailers was given by tile • secretary of tho association, Mr. J. W. Ranson, to a Dominion reporter last night. "The chief grievance of the retailers who have to buy fruit in the markets of late," he said, "has been that fruit hns not; h"cn sold by auction in accordance with the law. Tho Act states clearly that nn auctioneer "selling certain kinds of produce, including fruit and vegetables, shall not refuso_ to accept a bid from a person who is prepared to pay cash for tho goods on the fall of the hammer, and that he must sell the goods to the highest bidder. He has no right to impose a reserve, and no right to withdraw tho goods from sale if a bid has been made for them. We say that for a long time the custom of the trade lias been for the auctioneer to fix the prices of the goods to be offered for sale, and often to "trot" up lots without receiving a single bona-fide bid. Buyers are told that price, and told, also, that they may 'take it or leave it' at that price. The existence of this custom is admitted by the merchants themselves. When it was possible for our people to live under the system we never complained about it, but at present conditions do not allow tho retailers to live. We talked this matter out with.the merchants this morning, and we told them that we would require in future that there should be something like an observance of the. law. I know that thero are difficulties, but we arereasonablo people. We do not want to drive the grower out of business, or to force the auctioneer out of business, but we do ask that we shall be allowed to live ourselves. We have warned the merchants that if things do not improve in respect to this custom of which we complain, wo shall take steps to compel a literal observance of the law.

"Another of our complaints is in respect to the grading of fruit and vegetables. Some of the growers are in the habit of 'packing' or 'topping up , their packages of fruit and vegetables. Wβ asked the merchants to insist upon fair packing but they told us l that they Ijad tried without success to get this before. We then asked them, and.they agreed, to supply us withtho Lames of tho growers. We are appointing a Vigilance Committee, and the committee will mark stuff that has been 'packed.. This will be an indication to tho buyers to leave those parcels alone. \tb hope that the effect of this will he to force growers to grade their produce, and to pack it fairly." ■ The merchants on their part do not admit that the custom of jixing prices , exists to tho extent asserted by the buyers, nor do they admit the practice of "trotting" by auctioneers. They do admit, however, that a . certain amount of price-fixing has been practised in other years, as an expeditions way of getting business through. It has been used, as a measure of protection for the growers who aro the clients of tlie fruit brokers, to prevent tho buyers from combining to keep prices down. As for the present high prices of fruit, they say still that it is caused wholly by the shortage of supplies this season. An auctioneer yesterday made the statement that although ho was in Bomo respects more, fortunate than some of his competitors in tfie trade he was doing about a fifth of the busings lie would expect to be doing at ti'is time in a normal year. There was simnlv no fruit, comini; forward, rif apples should now be available in tho I'orHi. but the market in Auckland for all kinds of fruit was so good that none was Ih-mii; sent down to Wellington except bv scrip growers 'vhosr custom it lii"l been for ynrs to consign to this market. Acros of peach orchards I'nd been out out in tho Hawito's Lay district owing to the prevalence of hroini rot. th'vc. and tho supply was reduced accordingly. Tlie position would be. (vised whon communication was rppstpblifhod with Australia and the Islands, but it seemed that there would he n big shortage pf early summer fruit this, season, ' r ' I