FRUIT GROWERS' PROBLEMS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20169, 23 February 1931, Page 3

FRUIT GROWERS' PROBLEMS.

INCREASED RAILAGE COSTS The ■ monthly 'meeting, of 'Jhe' {■Jhristjf,' church Tpmato and- Stbne-J^f Aasociatipji wafjheld.oii big, Mr H. ovfiian, attendance', of Efeout*tHrty ] njewlb^ Canterbury Poultry l*r«duwi^ r aooiation, ;Mr. G. JEL Braflford, of ?the Now Zealand I > <juttry i t^3uce!Eß , i Association,'' aiif Canterbury r i^t^weA*^^l^^clatajli^ f |y ' Discussing the railway/tariffs,' MrXX'M Fopa*siu^*) > increased, rates .wore a blow, toJCrjutv, growers. a JC»,*sa«f 28%,0;e frjut f fo«,,jßonj;, meroiai Jmett^e^^v). - costf Saild, whileit was«p&Bsible t tfti6end\ . 561b for Idonftfliio pence." fruit io:thV vß&fcbfitig& v4.iou^SitJ plaiaed;;was";44s > c iwhic'tf' did. po#ffasti&J of abOUt':33s, a grower, sent' a; was. senVforward in lota .s£ to.four or five bun^red^e^bt^^;^^;' The'tihaiman;TW&rjK>d knew that the"railways, likeWny..other, businesses,' were 1 hard-put tplit'at ent and .an ordinary complaint fromi'the., Association would merely- bringith'eVre'pljrthat the Department polled to increase, the'rates. .Johnston suggested, that''it was obsolete; methods .of handling goodr sheds'that cost the ',' -, , Explainingrthat.-the" rates >Kao> always been as, the.Tesult. of tions" from thV'Departmerital'offiWrs-to-i 'the Minister. Mr Hawke suggested that, if ihe Association could show that'th'ew- 1 was'any inequality of'sacrifice ofcVitsj part in the extra rates ita'niembersihad to pay,' it would certainly; gefr> from* Minister the consideration its arguments'; deserved. The Department - realised that.' it bad to run the, railways, in the;best; interests of all concerned; and' it ":WOuld>. not allow one group of individuals to suffer unfairly to the'profit of the rest' of the. country. " ' - '"'>',;•' The chairman said be'had been-atrociT by the fact ,thafr the figure of the;new rates showed that the ing unduly heavily penalised in comparison with,-the man'who was able; to'* send large lots at one time. Thesecretary (Mr H. Firman) moved the following motion, which was seconded by Mr Pope, and carried: — ~* "That this combined, meeting 1 of poultrymen,. nurserymen,' and", fruits growers considers that the increased rates charged by the railway*! proving a great detriment, to. the ; trade. between the «"arious towns of she Do« minion and that a of, the rateß would be conducive to.theinterests of both the. railway* and, the producers," > Urban Land Bating, < - The present rfcting-scale on urban lands was discussed in' connexion with the Urban .Land Bating Bill that was brought up and dropped byihd'Government .at the last session of Parliament. Mr Pope, considered that > the .rating, burden on urban lands, was "particularly-' serious at present and he' proposed that a" deputation should be-sent to the Min.-. i ister by the poultrymen and fruit; and | .tomato growers. ' " r . ' t In response to a. question-frpm the chairman Mr Hawlce' aajd;'that," - the, poultrymen were in< perfect .agreement with\the fruitgrowers. ■ He-advised ,\the : Association, to ■ press" *■ the\ Minister 'for*; a; peiy-Bill..'oaV.,the^es.^p/.^w'^'^aj^ **noWa; as 4ocal?,«ouncilsr pqwer.bto". ievalueM'rJMif

The Allowing jnotion >wm'moved-by. . Mr niWf ; < '<■. '::•»'"' *.,,'■!' -* V -',. *'THat this combined- iaeetiHgv of ■ . growers strorigly- urges /th^'GovCrni s ''" ment to go on with' the' Urban Land. Bating Bill>-as, brought' -up*, by it v &f£ '* tho w -,..,iji^*" ' i J ■ The letter eaid that negotiations 'J • shortly he. conducted A ■ and 'New Zealand-regarding thVrevj|aon; * ' of tho eaisting tariffs, when*ths .que*-' f ■ tion J Mr. P. Tapley* «aid'Mlia.t;>^V : aeffi(sß* -' h\ answer as to when they/would gejrasw- 1 ■faction was,wanted; il " more f rom ijbo letter Ttan'lfrey^Kidi? known before.', ''", ', ,-. ' *•'s i^'j The Department had ' percent, of,tho cberric's i . Christchurch ware growji h'erfc * Pope. In'jtfn opinion, niQsa titan, i cent, had ,b'ecn sold 1 production. 'That ongWjto BK>v«t iSPjEh O "', . Government how smalK&'n^sbnpojrtftJttOn l ,•■ was enough to' upset,tho'market. "•"He, , i quoted s i was being seriously affeeJedCby^thfciin,-'S. crease in foreign competition, '"■■* 'J Mr Hawke asked" if* the ■producers" cj i would *■; ■ land's needs if imported stonft-'fri^t^B excluded. ,'Jtt ftw;«W*k»t' fe£#l& $ guarantee' t ting the prohibiUcni/.tWiaeßije.dX.v ...J Mr TaplejMttoypdj-!*; -i l }?*'. i, t« h w 1 "That in view «£ the } s volume of* be wri/tten, to' regarding.Uc impflrta*; "I tion of cherries, and be askejt to.Aadi ' immediatciy.with the matter. ;] The motion woo earned, x t / ; * ~ ">;■ ■<■':.*■l',','-* f