Island Fruit "Boiled" in Ship's Hold

Chronicle (Levin), 3 October 1949, Page 4

Island Fruit "Boiled" in Ship's Hold

g CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 2. A eonsignment of 750 cases of bananas from Fiji arrived at Wellington on the Tamaroa on Friday in sucn poor condition that the Marketing Dopartment refused to accept delivery of the fruit which is still in the ship's hold. The bananas, when inspected m i the ship on Saturday at Lyttelton, were "boiled" — stiil unripe but soft. Fruit i'n this condition blaelcens rapidly when exposed to the atmosphere. "The bananas were absolutely unfit for human consumptiori, ' ' said the branch manager of the marketing Department, Mr. J. A. Manton, this evening. "They appear to have been smothered. ' ' Tlie bananas were deseribed by Mr. H. E. Radly, a Christchurch fruit ana produce merchant, as a total write off. Mr.- Radly said that he had noticed them when he went down the hold to inspect some melons and tomatoes consigned to an Auckland firm because this fruit had s not been unloaded at Wellington. He had inspected it on instructions from Auckland, he said. There were, he be- ; lieved, about 150 cases of tomatoes. jlhese had also deteriorated during tlie^^ journey but he hoppd they ' wquid be saleable if they could be cleared early from the ship. The spoiling of this fruit was unfortunate, said Mr. Radly, but. more so for Wellington eonsumers, than for Christchurch, residents. The fruit was normally unloaded at the first port of call in New Zealand and it had been expeeted that this shipment would be distributed in Wellington.