FREIGHT ON ISLAND FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 606, 8 September 1909, Page 8

FREIGHT ON ISLAND FRUIT

/ THE RACE TO THE SWIFTEST. , ■:„' BROKERS SEEK.,REDUCTIONS. : HON.: J.; A. IULLAR 0N RAILWAY ';-i:v '-■■■■■ '■':•: policy.. .;.' ■ .With the object of effecting reductions in the freight •charges-on Island fruit a largo .deputation- representing the fruit brokers throughout the: Dominion, waited upon tlio Hon.' J., A:. Millar, Minister for- Railways, yesterday.", ... ,'.■■..; • ■■'-. \ ■ '■'" • ■ ; M.P., in.introducing putation, stated that when approached on ■ the subject thp, former' Ministe- for Railways' promised- that ho:would mako cohces- : ,61011* in relation to tho carriago of fruit \vlucU:cquld:.not .bo produced in New-Zea- ' J and - freight on fruit were reduced it would enable people in all parts of the Dominion; to, obtain supplies at reasonable T i ij''-r ? - c< ! nsld6r «d that preferential rates |hoUld\bp _givcn -iu connection with fruit from Cook Islands, which were an in.tegraLportion.of tho Dominion. ■ ' -.-. . ,-Mr.Howarth (Auckland) said that con-ces3ions-.wero,;:desired in regard to. . the freights on bananas, and pirieapples,.:which .could not bo grown hero. He gave a number of instances of tho.existing charges;(the rate per.toh for-New/Zealand that for Island fruit) ■ .as. folloivs to Wellington, 22 s -.„555-;.8d..; Auckland to -Napier, ' 20s. 575. 'to'-Wanganiii, 205..-:485.-7d.;, Auckland '.to-: Palmerston North. -,20s;V *°3-,'- 2d -;.Aucldand to Now Plymouth,"2os M .565.'.1 id.; Lyttelton.to Ashburton, lis. 6d.,'' fl s .-- : ld.;.'Lyttolton!to Timaru, ,15s;, 30s. :II<l;-i 'Wttelto'n to' Oamaru, 18s.' 9d.,, 355.. i 9d.; Lyttelton to,,Dunedin, 5 205.,. 415.,1 id.': .Lyttelton :to Invcrcargill, 205., 535. 7d. As matter.: of fact, continued Mr.: Howarth, ■ tho , ,™ a .rges, on overseas ffuit were; almost prohibitive.' The deputation' did not ask for any ■_■ reduction on the charges •in respect ■ of foreign-fruits that cohld', riot bo grown. I 'in'' ", 6 ™,^ ea ' an d-. .'Smaller■'•.-. consumers .'were' reallyNat'..a greater disadvantage tiafflarger purchasers. -, Victoria-, was;'. .he ■' said, douig. everything possible'to encourage trade with tbo Islands 'and- if, Neir Zealand, did ' not bestir-.'itself it would ,be outclassed in' the racofor tlib-Island-trade., In return for the frui^t ; tho:,natiycs,.purchased; goods produced ', m .l the 'Dbinihion:,'-If.thovrailwdj-.rates were reasonable : Island fruitk would ■be consigned 2sw, Auckland,to,-Wellington. by::rail in-, stead .of .by "steamer:,- Then, again,', business ccuM.be.-done with people in tho inland ■ towns,' which-.would ■ mean < practically,' the creation of,a new;trade. He. added that as ;the-brokers handled: most of the fruit grown in;-Now.Zealaiid;it,would be seen that the" in--'teres.ts,'bf the .New-Zealand -growers were their'.interests.: !,•:.:,; < .;. ■ - . .' .i )^o;'^ sa P aa ' (Auckland) said : that ..the •J)!Ji.vtrade was Very, hard to hold, owing to u . stral j a .n.competition.'' He went on:to say that,,he:,sent. back'to Fiji potatoes, butter, bacon.-eto.j.in Teturn for frjiit.." New Zealand jproduped-only, sufficient fruit to moderately Supply;:,its. ,-. requirements for four, or nve months, in,-the ye3r.; ( ; lf : tho rates were'reduced;a'great deal, more Island fruit would bo\ •ophsumed-,-in' the : Dbminibn, and ( as 'a" result;, there,would be increased!trade with the Islands., ,-..•: .'.: ■ -.-■ • ,-; . ; -~-,

> contentions were supplemented bv Mi-;'-;Paterson,'of'l)uiicdin. .- .:'---.-.. ,;. Thq-Hon.'J. A..'Millar',' in-'replyi said, tho ; .questipn.at v issue..was not a newon'e by-any means.-- Ncgotiatibhs ■in this direction, had been .proceeding-sinco: 1902, but all the ; aV (plicatiphs:.had been ;refused.- It was ab-' solutely impossible to lower, the freight' on ■ fruit: grbwn;rat tho ' Cook Isla'nds, because • it '■jwould:- be., impossible' to. differentiate-be-tween-the product of those and'that of other islands: .Everybody, knewHh'at the-certificate .-business was. ; :utterly valueless. 'The policy. >-:°S; th .° .Government had always' aimed at the' encouragement of 'the. local.' fruit industry;y P"-i he .| a ?° of iV there seemed tb: bo a,',big - difference ; ihytho ■freights :on local and overseas: fruit;-,.but as a 'matter of fact that-was .not.: the case.",•■ Ho. wished to state :-that h 0 had no desire to cultivate the New ■ .Zealand-trade, at.the present freight charge' , yr.MOs.yPOr ton,',nor. would'any. request for' the -reduction of j the, rate on overseas' r fruit to. that.fagure be,entertained. As tbo'Vßail-' ways Department had to be run on commer-1 cial..lines,-'it- was .quite' possible there'might have to_be an; increase, instead of a reduotion m the freights. /He had mado'up his mind ;that'. BPqds..were; 'not-;going-: to 'be carried at : a lossi and he might say.there and then thatMthrog. was made out of'caft-ying-fruif ■at; the. existiiig ;chqrges. ,If v ariy reduction wore"made,. he,;cpuld-npt see that.the consumer; would get a' penny benefit,' because ™.9 difference; would ,be so, infinitesimal that the_ wholesaler could not.pass'-it ; on. 'Over a distance of onb hundred miles the difference between the charges' on local and imported fruit. was only. l r 16d;; per; lb.; whilst for three hundred miles: the difference was only I-10d. per lb.. What the cbuse, of, tho small .consumption, of vf ruit' might 'be ho did not prptess te knpw, but this lie did knpw—it was npt tho, railway-charges. If a reduction-in treignt would_ mean the dovclppment of further:, trade, with '-.the' Islands' it • might be a .question of Considering what could be. done in that direction., iHe would, go into the figures to see: whether the exports from New KeaJand were,increasing,, also whether 'the .goods, exported were produced "within , the Dominion. ; He-had already intimated'that there wbuld be no alteration in regard to freights .'until various: economies which had beenput-into operation had been tried to see::if- the .railways could not bo , raade . toshow: a ibotte'r. rfeturn: than in the past. ,\V hen the' twelve months came te''an end he would tell the public what had 1 been, ths experience, and: would then probably, review ,tho rates',- especially those over long distances. That-would l ', be, the time When the. question of :freigKt- on fruit could be further,cpnsidered.. Ho did not intend to go. into the matter of changes in a.piecemear fashion. His 1 desire was to conserve the revenue of-the railways and to mako •them pay,their-own' way instead of asking the people to pay for'them.- Those who used the lines should,, in his opinion,' pay for : thomj. : He -might mention that the twelve■.month period which: he- had -'mentioned would end.hve -or. six-months- hence; 'It pleased him to hear,-Jlr. j Glov.cr, say. that there wa3 no,desire,to have.:the fruit carried by-cx--trains, "because these' trains were now a,s':beavy 'as was;:possible; Ho 'went on to say, that the Department were building some S ore "V', ult wagons. Special, wagons—such as those for fruit and fish—were expensive, and ■were/of little.use'for anything'else. -.When everything' was taken. into • consideration - :it -would therefore be seen! that it was, impos- •■ Bible for--the Department to make; muoh of the carriage of 'fruit. Ho did not, think brokers minded paying a decent rate Provided it: was conveyed with care and ex PC?ition.: As soon. as fruit arrived at Wellington, would be given to the consignees. - As he had intimated, the question ;of the -. revision' of rates' would have to stand over ;in,the .meantime. .- •