AN AUCKLAND. PROTEST.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 4

AN AUCKLAND. PROTEST.

• INDUSTRY "THREATENED: WITH EXTINCTION' (BI JTLEGIUPH-t-PEBSS association.) \v Auckland, January 24. • A mqeting of vigneroiis was held tins afternoon toprotest against the importation or Australian grapes. ~ The Chairman (Mr. Johns) said ho thought the news which had come through that morning had taken the heart;o«t of moist of them. The' ■ femoviil: .'of • the • restriction be/ ponj sidored, would bp disastrous, and'would lead to tho introduction of ■ phylloxera ana jruit flj jlr. Wright, of Mangere, said that, apart from the effect the importation of Australian grapes -would ' havp on : the ■ growers, there would be an' extrepip danger of introducing tho diseases so prevalent in -Australia; Mr. W. John.s said that an ■ area of 15,000 acres was under vines in the :Aupkl?nd province. Mr; Kirk. 1 had stated: that .the fniit-. growing industry was third or .fourtU; in volume of 7 those'in .tbo'.Pominm. It was, ho considered,' extraordinary- -that; ?u?h an iridustry should bo threatened with - extinction.' He thought- it would be suicidal to let Australian'grapes' in. ■- : . , Mr.- Wils oll that, the Government had been urging ttipm for years • to; tak« s up, t'w industryf : and now that -hundreds of pounds had been / spent in ; glass-houses, and laying down vineyards, the Government came along and "cut their• throats. If importations wero restricted to South Australian products tho danger . of' phylloxera would not great, but if tho infected States wero to indiscriminately send, grapes the whole of New Zealand the fruit industry would bo ruined.