SHILLING A POUND

Southland Times, Issue 24882, 23 October 1942, Page 3

SHILLING A POUND

Retail Price Of Cheese

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 22. The maximum retail price of mild cheese is fixed at 1/- a pound by a price order issued tonight. Mild cheese for the purpose of the order is cheese up to four months old, excluding any form of fancy cheese. The order enables retailers who have to pay their own freight from the nearest point of wholesale supply to pass on the additional cost in the retail price. The tribunal says that a comprehensive survey it has taken indicates that on an average over-all basis, the shilling a pound maximum would involve no increase in price to the public. On the other hand the operation of a generally even price would supersede the present variations in price frOm shop to shop and place to place. The tribunal adds that retailers’ earlier margin of profit would remain virtually unchanged because of the wholesale prices it had also fixed, and cheese manufacturing factories, after making reasonable provision for wholesale distributors’ commission, would receive a net return comparing favourably with today’s equivalent of the guaranteed price.

The wholesale prices per lb fixed by the tribunal are: Not less than standard crate lots crated, exports 9.1 d; mediums, 9)d; not less than standard crate lots uncrated, exports 9 l-8d; mediums, 9 3-8 d; less than standard crate lots, exports 91d; mediums, 9Jd.