CHEAP FISH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16484, 25 February 1914, Page 8

CHEAP FISH.

No new ground was touched by tho fish-dealers who told ono of our reporters yesterday that the city ought to have a municipal market. Every citizen knows, or ought to know, that fish is nearly always dear and very often scarce in Christchurch, and if he has ever troubled to ask his own retailer a few questions on the subject he has learned that the “small man,” at any rate, regards tho situation with deep discontent. If lie has had opportunity to push his inquiries a little further ho has been told, probably, that tho fishermen complain long and loud of low prices and limited demand while the retailers, who buy in a private market, protest against high prices and limited supply. The statements made to our reporter show that an impression prevails among the wholesale buyers that tho freezing chamber is one of the factors in keeping prices at a consistently high level. IVe do not profess to know the truth of this matter. The parties have put their cases before the public a dozen times and have shown to their own satisfaction that the blame for whatever, abuses exist does not belong to them. Meanwhile fish remains dear and tho producers and the consumers appear to be as far away from one another as ever they were. Apparently tho sole remedy is a municipal market. We shall bo told again, no doubt, that such a market would not improve matters at all .and that nobody is getting an unfair profit or acting in restraint of trade. But frankly wo are unable to bclievo that a country situated as New Zealand is cannot be supplied witji cheap fish. If individuals concerned in tho trade are not responsible for the existing state of affairs, then we can assume only that the whole system of supply is basically wrong. A municipal market at least would let the public know where the trouble begins.