Fiji Bananas In Bad
p. 36 · Read in the full issue
Condition.
THE shipment of 1,407 cases of Fiji bananas which reached Melbourne by the “Dimboola” on January 31 caused much disappointment, as a quantity of the fruit was unsaleable.
Mr. A. Barrow, the agent handling the fruit, said some of the fruit was green and some over-ripe and badly crushed.
The prices realised were from 15/- to 27/- a case, as compared with 35/- a case paid for the previous shipment.
Major Clive Joske, the growers’ repre sentative who visited Melbourne to watch the shipment, was also dissatis fied with the shipment and blamed the conditions under which the bananas came from Sydney. Transhipment in volved five handlings of the fruit. It is probably that future shipments to Mel bourne will be carried direct by the
The Boycott.
Melbourne, Jan. 28.
Attempts by a Labour organiser to stop the sale of Fiji bananas in Mel bourne were unsuccessful.
The “Mariposa’s” consignment were being sold, and the prices had increased from 27/6 a case to 35/- a case, when the organiser went among the buyers and suggested that they should not touch the fruit as it had been grown by black labour. He made very little im pression and left the saleroom when asked to do so by an official.
To prevent the sale of well-developed Australian fruit, misrepresented as Fijian, it has been suggested that every Fiji banana packed should bear a small brand. While this would involve an en ormous amount of work by either grower or shipper, it would stop misrepresenta tion and a similar scheme has been used with success by the N.S.W. Egg Board.