STONE FRUIT PROFITS

Evening Star, Issue 19666, 20 September 1927, Page 2

STONE FRUIT PROFITS

CANTERBURY FRUITGROWERS’ MOVE BARMEN SUGGESTED [Special to the ‘ Star.'] CHRISTCHURCH, September 19. In view of the excessive profits said to be made by retailers on the sale of stouo fruit, the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association has decided to wait on the Christchurch City Council asking that barrowmen be licensed to ply in the central area. The association claims that 400 and 500 per cent, profit was made last year by fruiterers on outside-grown tomatoes. The ‘ Sun ’ to-day sought representative opinions of men intimately connected with the trade, and, save for that of Mr C. E. Pope (president of the Canterbury Stone Fruit and Tomato Growers’ Association) all were opposed to the proposal. “If the barrowmen _ are allowed to come back, the public _ will obtain cheaper and better fruit, and the growers will experience better results,” said Mr Pope. “Last year, for instance, the best-known brands of the best tomato growers int Canterbury realised only Id a lb, and yet the public was asked to pay 4d and 5d a lb. The barrowmen are prepared to sell _at a very small profit, and my association is going to make a, determined effort to persuade the City Council to license this class of trade.” In the event of such permission being refused, the association intended to place the case for the growers before the House of Representatives, and would ask for legislation to limit excessive prolit on fruit. Mr W. B. Bucktin, another grower, said that while in sympathy with outside growers of tomatoes, he did not consider that the reiiiauguratiou of barrowmen would he feasible under present conditions. Anyway, it was not a fair proposition to the retail men, who had to meet overhead expenses. The retailers naturally are strongly opposed io the proposal. They consider that if barrowmen were allowed on the streets they would undercut prices, and' the fruiterers, who were paying very high rents and rates, would he unable ; io compete successfully. Consequently a number of shop assistants would be put out of work. “The barrowmen,” said one fruiterer, “ would bo in the same class as the hawkers, from whom the public should he protected. The majority of these buy inferior stuff, and sell it at the samo rate as that at which good fruit is sold.”