PROBE TO AIR PROBLEMS

Growers charge profiteerin

By NIGEL MORGAN
Not since the depression days when they rallied
around the slogan “A cent a pound or on the ground,”’
have B.C. fruit growers been so aroused as they are today.
How much do you pay for a pound of Okanagan
Macs? What is the actual retail price charged in Van-

couver, Trail, Calgary and
Winnipeg? Who pockets the
difference between the adver-
tised price of $4 and up a box
and the nickel a box return
the growers have been get-
ting?

This is what the Okanagan
growers want to find out from
the royal commission which
opens in Kelowna this coming
Wednesday,

It seems an easy enough
problem to solve until you ex-
amine the facts.

First, there are 308 differ-
ent varieties, grades, sizes and
packages — with bulk-selling

predominant in the modern
chain stores.

Second, growers claim ad-
vertised retail prices do not
reflect the great variations in
their returns. For example,
prices advertised in Vancouver
papers last month for 4% Ibs.
of “Fancy Red McIntosh
Apples” and “Small Sizes”

Bennett challenged
on Sinclair's claim

Premier W. A. C. Bennett has been asked by C. W. Caron,
LPP organizer for Vancouver to verify or deny Fisheries Min-
ister James Sinclair’s charge that the Second Narrows Bridge
could have been free from tolls by now if the Socred govern-
ment had accepted an offer of financial assistance from Ottawa.

This week, in a second let-
ter to Premier Bennett, Car-
on wrote:

“On January 8 I-wrote you
concerning the toll system on
bridges crossing Burrard In-
let. Unfortunately you have so
far chosen to ignore my letter.
However, I have received a
reply from Fisheries Minister
James Sinclair to the same
letter in which he makes the
following charge against your
government:

““T was able to have the fed-
eral government approve the
inclusion of the Second Nar-
rows Bridge and the Upper
Levels Highway across the
North Shore as part of the
Trans-Canada Highway. Prem-

“Everything in Flowers”
FROM
EARL SYKES
56 E. Hastings St., PA. 3855
Vancouver, B.C.

OVALTINE

CAFE
251 EAST HASTINGS
Vancouver, B.C.
QUALITY SERVICE

ROOFING |

Duroid, Tar and Gravel
Gutters and Downpipes
Reasonable

NICK BITZ AL, 4141

ier Bennett at first accepted

this proposal but later reject-
ed that part relating to the
Second Narrows Bridge. If. the
federal government’s offer of
financial assistance had been
accepted, the Second Narrows
Bridge would have been free
from tolls.’ ”

PATRONIZE
CEDAR FUEL
& TRANSFER

Phone: 566-R-3
Cedar, B:Ce 3 =

ing houses

NEW ZENITH
CAFE
105 E. Hastings St.

For the Finest in Good
Eating

CONSTANTINE

Fine Custom Tailoring
Ladies’ and Gentlemen
Rm. 118, 603 W. Hastings St.
PA. 5810, Vancouyer 2, B.C.

PATRONIZE —

CARNEL‘’S
COFFEE SHOP
410 Main Street
Under New Management
Robbie & Grace Robertson

Castle Jewelers

Watchmaker and Jewelers
Special Dis-
count to all
Tribune Read-

ers. Bring
this ad with
you. .

752 Granville Street

SUG MIEENeeeNEY

(without grade being mention-
ed) were the same — 49 cents.

Third, misrepresentation of
grades has become common.
Some merchants use the simple
device with bulk displays of
substituting the words “Fancy
Quality” for the standard
“Fancy Grade” to dispose of
inferior grades of fruit.

It can be readily seen that
consumers as well as growers
have a stake in the outcome
of the McPhee inquiry.

Okanagan growers, in fact,
are looking to housewives to
support their efforts to clean
out this kind of profiteering
as well as overcharges by pack-
and marketing
agencies. They are looking
for, need, and deserve wide
public support in their demand
for government action to save
this great $20 million industry
from ruin.

The grower’s cash outlay
ranges from $1.15 to $1.35 a
box, without allowing anything
for his own labor or capital
investment. Packinghouse and
selling agency charges account
for an additional $1.40.

The standard box. costs
46% cents; printed wrapping

tissue 11% cents; protection
pads four cents; label % cent;

car-bracing one cent; plant

labor costs (exclusive of actual
packing) 41 cents; overhead
(including maintenance, taxes,
licenses, power, salaries) 12
cents; cold storage and insur-
ance 10 cents. Total packing-
house charges are $1.27%.

To this must be added an-
other 13 cents for B.C. Tree
Fruits Ltd, for the following:
insurance, research, repack-
ing, etc., % cent; central sales
office expense, four cents;
general advertising, one cent;
advertising material and
claims, one cent; government
inspection charges, %4 cent;
seliing agent’s brokerage, 3%4
cents; assembly and _ reship-
ment charges, 2% cents.

In addition to these charges
per box, there are freight
charges, markup and profit for
the wholesaler and markup and
profit for the retailer, all to
be piled on the final cost.

Is it any wonder apples cost
so much, while.the growers
get so little.

These are some of the fig-
ures that lie behind the strong
demand of many of the Okan-

agan’s 3,600-odd growels
a major shakeup ‘in thell)
operatively owned mar
agency, B.C. Tree Fruits”
the directorate of the gt!
owned B.C. Fruit Proce
Ltd. and B.C. Fruit Board!
the executive of the B.C.”
Growers Association.

Obviously the time e

due for an expert apP

not only of price’ spreads
general administrative *
tices and marketing me
that are driving the 8!
to the wall.

A thorough study is 2
of the economic plight %
Okanagan fruit grower?
effect of rising costs of
inery, equipment and supr)
of mounting freight chars”
profiteering by packing!
and wholesale and retail
cies; of waste and dupll
in packing and marketilé

Ways have to be foul
reopening and extendi0s
traditional British and
markets. And when tt
quiry is completed, prov
and federal governments
to be prodded for po

{

put the industry and its
ary producers back of —

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISIN

feet. il

ee

A charge of 50 cents for

each insertion of five lines or
less with 10 cents for each ad-
ditional line is made for no-
tices appearing in this column.
No notices will be accepted
later than Tuesday noon of
the week of publication.

NOTICES

DEADLINE FOR COMING
EVENTS COLUMN — All
copy must be in the Pacific
Tribune office not later
than 12 noon Tuesday.

POSTAGE STAMPS wanted.
Donate your used postage
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OHMS or G. Stamps should
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proceeds go to Pacific Tri-
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WHEN MAKING A WILL,
you may wish to remember
the Pacific Tribunue as a
means of continuing the
cause for which you have
worked during your life.
For further information,
write the Business Manager,

COMING EVENTS
FEB 9 Remember the good

- times you’ve had
before? Join us again at a gala
VALENTINE DANCE on SAT-
URDAY Feb. 9th at the VAL-
LEYVIEW COMMUNITY
HALL — Grandview H’wy and

Ledger. Admission $1.00. Bur-
naby Social Club.

BUSINESS PERSONALS

34 TRANSFER & MOVING
Courteous, fast, efficient.
Call NICK at GL. 4620 and
HA. 5794L.

KEITH FISH AND CHIPS
Deep Fried Chicken and
Fish in Peanut Oil our Spe-
cialty! Take Out! Phone
YO. 9919; 749 W. Keith,
North Vancouver. Mary and
Jim Beynon, Props.

OKRAINSKA KNYHA — Per-
sonal parcels to the Soviet
Union (Russia, Ukraine,
Byelo-Russia, Latvia, Lith-
uania, Estonia and other So-
viet Republics). 652 Kings-
way. (at Fraser). Phone
EX. 3118. ¢

HASTINGS BAKERIES LTD.
—Scandinavian products a
specialty. 716 East Hastings
Street. Phone TA. 9719.

PATRONIZE POLITANO’S
BARBER SHOP — 204 Main
St., 2 blks. north of Hastings.

©

_ JANUARY 25, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—F*

THE Most MOP
CLEANERS Cleaning;
ing and Dyeing. Alte
and Repairs. 754 Hast”
ings. TA. 0717.

OK. RADIO sERVIC
SERVICE, 1420 Pend
Latest factory Pp!
equipment used.
West. TA. 1012.

t

REGENT TAILORS
Custom Tailors and At
to wear. For persope)
vice see Henry Rabéy
324 W. Hastings Sta

couver 3. PAcific 840)

HALLS FOR REN)

RUSSIAN PEOPLE'S gi
Available for meeting®,
dings, and banquets “f
sonable rates. 600 C#
Ave. TA. 9939. .

CLINTON HALL, 260°
Pender. Available fo
quets, Weddings, Ea
Etc. Phone HA. 3277.

ce) 277

PENDER
AUDITORIUM

(Marine Workers). :

339 West Pendt!

LARGE & SMALL #
FOR RENTALS —
Phone PA. 9481