ORANGE SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23974, 15 June 1943, Page 4

ORANGE SUPPLY

COOK ISLANDS FRUIT IN NEW CALEDONIA "LOCAL CROP ROTTING ON THE GROUND » Though oranges have been in ex* ceedingly limited supply in New Zea* land, they are being forwarded to New Zealand servicemen on duty in New Caledonia where, according 10 a New Zealander now on duty' there, the local crop is rotting on the ground. The following extract from a letter just to hand from New Caledonia was shown to “The Press” yesterday: “They . have been sending us Cook Island oranges, if you please, from New Zealand, and at the height of the orange and mandarin season. This » the most foolish thing I have heard ox for ages, particularly when you want them so badly in New Zealand.” “We can get thousands here, delicious fruit, and dirt cheap,” he continued. “We have been buying them at the rate of 3000 at a time at five francs a dozen which, to you. is about IJd. , In places the fruit rots under the trees, and if we were not here there would be still more rotting." . The writer recalled a recent experience by a New Zealand officer who was purchasing oranges for his men. This particular order numbered 3000. ( To his surprise the owner, instead of sending men to pick the fruit from the tree, cut it down. Asked why, he replied: “Oh, it is quicker and easier that way.” This man had a number of trees, all heavily laden with fruit. The New Zealander was staggered. “New Zealand could get a constant supply of oranges from New Caledonia if we organised properly," he • added. In his opinion there was no necessity to divert Cook Island oranges, which were needed so badly in New Zealand, to the troops in New Caledonia. The Internal Marketing Department states that no oranges have been sent to New Caledonia on instructions from New Zealand, and it has no knowledge of any such shipments being made. „ \ rrrm — w