THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14885, 27 January 1914, Page 4

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

THE QUJJibiiUIN ui< htuiJ£>&&.TION. CANTERBURY FRUIT-GROWERS' ASSOCIATION'S ATTITUDE. In the special report from our Nelson correspondent, published in Saturday's issue, tho Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association was taken to task |for its opposition to the proposed | Federation of Fruit-growers' Associations. An interview was -sought with Mr F. Sisson, president of the Canteri bury Fruit-growers' Association., and ho gave his Association's side of the question. At the recent conference of fruitgrowers, held in Wellington, Mr Sisson said the Canterbury Association supported the proposal to form the federation, not that any particular benefit could be secured, but from a desire to assist the fruit-growing industry if it would do so. The contribution was fixed at 2s Cd per member, and the Canterbury and Hawke's Bay Associations paid their quota. But. Mr Sisson added, neither Auckland, Wanganui, Cheviot, nor ev*u. ono of the Nelson Associations had paid a penny to this day, and the Hawke s Bay Association was very lukewarm lithe matter. Tho Canterbury Association, on further consideration, decided to draw out of the proposed Association for several reasons, and the Hawke'a Bay Association was very lukewarm in tho matter. In the first p'-aco there aro a number of fruit-growers' Associations in tho Nelson Provinco which would have the controlling influence iv the voting, and tho fund provided by the different associations would be spent principally for the benefit of Nelson. Another thing was thnt the Canterbury Association were strongly opposed to tho proposed tax on orchards. Thero was no precedent in tho Dominion for directly taxing a portion of tho community to benefit a particular industry. There must be pioneers in any new industry. Mr Sisson pointed out tho frozen meat industry as an instanco whero a few men took tho initiative and the risk in connexion with first shipping frozen moat to England and finding a market for it. Another thing was it was considered most unfair to tax fruitgrowers who may not ba interested in any way in the export trade. But apart from all other arguments against the taxation of orchards, was there any need for a fund to nromotc tho export of fruit? The market was now open in South America for all tho apples that Now Zealand could oxport for some years to come. The expenditure of money would not help this trade. Thero was now such keen competition between the two New Zealand agents of tho South American importers of apples that the prico offered had risen from <3s f.o.b. last «eason, to 7s this season, and there wa.s no reason to gu noose that this was to bo tho limit. Mr Sisson points out tliat the Nelson fruit-growers have tho largest area under fruit, and would derive tho most immediate benefit, if there wore any benefit to bo derived from a fund provided by a tax. But why, ho asks, do not the Nelson fruit-growers pat their hands in their own pockots? Then in tho matter of coot stores, tho Nelson growers aro waiting to get cheap money to enable them to erect these 6torcs, whilo in other parts oi tho Dominion privato individuals have erected cool stores without Government assistance. Mr Sisson says he fears that speculation in fruit-growing land in Nelson is responsible i'or much cf tho agitation that comes from thoro in regard to markets for fruit. Land has been bought at a very low price, and is being offered to inexperienced growers at remarkably high values, and the land syndicates who are making pivch a big profit out of thc transaction should give the growers some assistance tf> nn< ' markets for their fruit if tnoy requiro it. If thero wero no outside markets, Mr Sisson concluded, one could understand a movement to provide means for finding them, but when tbo markets already exist for a greater quantity than the Dominion ha.s available for* export, then there is no need at present for a tax on orchards, and he will continue to strongly oppose it.