FIXED PRICE FOR ONIONS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 48, 12 March 1937, Page 12

FIXED PRICE FOR ONIONS

-PreBs Association.)

Regulation of Wholesaie Suppiy IMPORTS BARRED

(By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. A statement as to the regulation of onion supplie3 and distribution was issued by the Minister of Iildustries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, to-day. The Minister said: — "For many years past onion growers i have experienced difficulty in disposing of onions at prices which eompensate them for the costs of production. The t'act that Newi Zealand growers are un,able to produce suffieient for the total ;domestic requirements has necessitated -.importations from Japan, Canada and jCalifornia at certaiu times of the year. j The variable keeping quality of locally- ! produced onions, combined with the lack jof knowledge of stocks and the crop iposition, has often resulted in extreme jgluts or shortages and has also necessitated merchants undertaking importations based on insufficient knowledge of the jfcrue stock position. "Thus on one hand pioducers have been liable to receive extremely low jreturns and on the other hand merchants •have often lost considerable sums of imoney. The Government has under'taken a thorough investigation of the jposition and has deemed it desirable in jthe public interest to formulate Tegulajtions governing the supply and distriibution of pnions in the Dominion." j The Minister in issuing his statement, jalso made available a digest .of fhe r.ejgulations which do not apply to the reItail sale of onions. Ajl onions sold wholesaie must be leither flrst grade, seeond grade or picklers. Ungraded or under-grade onions imay be sold only by public auction. The rninimum prices at which graded onions may be sold are fixed as follows: First grade, £5 1 5s per ton (22401bs.) f.o.b., or f.o.r., nearest place where grown (sacks extra); second grade, £4 5s; pickler grade, £3 5 3. The rates of commisgion chargeable for the handling and sale of onions of any grade or classiflcation are fixed as follows:-— Auctioneer, 10 per cent. gross sale price plus ld per bag as handling charge, both charges payable by the vendor; distribnting merchants and agents, 7$ per cent. of f.o.b. or f.o.r. price (sacks excluded) such charge to be paid by the purehaser; brokers' , commission of 2s 6d per ton payable by brokers ' principal. Complimentary to the regulations ; governing the conditions of sale the" im- , ,port position is being controlled -through the Customs Act whereby it will be illegal to import onions other than with the consent of the Minister bf Customs. Every onion griower is required to forward to the Director-Gen-eral a monthly return showing his crop and stock positipn as at the end of the month and giving particulars of the quantities of onions sold or deliver-ed •for sale on consignment during the month. All sellers of onions, whether as principals or a§ agents, must also submit a monthly return giving particulars showing .the quantities of onions sold during the month, the quantity reeeived for sale on consignment during the month, and the quantity held for sale at the end -of the month.