28 JUNE 1957, Page 18

FRESH FOOD SIR,—In reply to Mr. Jack Merricks, who bewails

the fact that fresh food is harder to come by be- cause of the controls exercised by statutory market- ing boards : eggs may be purchased at the 'farm gate,' as also all dairy products. There are no re- strictions on the sale of vegetables or fruit. I see no reason why a farmer could not set up a slaughterhouse and sell his meat straight to the consumer; in fact many have done so.—Yours faith- fully,