DISTRIBUTION OF FRUIT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 792, 15 April 1910, Page 8

DISTRIBUTION OF FRUIT.

=,: ■:■;, ;; v .'nelson complaints.^;'':!. : ; The .prchanlists of Nelson an; strongly -■;.-dissatished'witn the.,returns..they 'are re,'...oeiving for.the fruit whicli they 'market ■'~ ;i.iff Wellington.' T-he subject was discussed .'■■'•it length at the halfryearly' meeting of .'Nelson District iVuitgrovers' ;-.Associa- . '■;.." tion- at Lower-"Moutere a. iew days ago. J .: ■:; Mr. K. h. 'Vitty-said 1 that this.season -..;,.,- things were, worso thai ever. : The' auc-.'-..-.:tipn. ;rooins in .the ■chief:, centres,' 'he de:,'claredi .were'■ glutted' with;-; fruit,. Vhich' - -.: could ■hardJy;.-be'; given! away, 'the ...saine. time: the -consumers had to pay ex:,'.'cessivcly.'liigh rates.;. . ' ; ': ,'"- .'. ~.■ ~. Mr;--Ji.'/B.'lzard,.secretary of the as- :- - r ßociation, ! , said cool, storage' would .partly i'-'overconio- the. difficujty; V'He was aston...iihed' that no irms in. the larger centres \pu't'.up.' cold .stores; . There whs -little ■':.". doubt they,'.w6nli;be a profitable::invest r ■ :'■ ment.: •Hβ-: gave; as"":nn instance:', the'. Nel-! .; Bon Freezing-:Cpm'pany;"wlitcJi was' niak-/-ing 'provision ;'for storin;; vbOOO casos .of -Six .months' storage. ; at'"usual ■■; rates,: on" .this number would amount-to

: '~£875. JJlr..'lzard outlinetl'a scheme-.by; ■VI which", fruit of tlie very.. best' guality. ;• 'could be .distributed all' over .'"Wellington, 'γ-iarid other'centres-direct to;'the'consumer" : ;. ; j;at :a reasonable" price. ■Mγ: lurk, -when' ...> r! m'Nelsdu, r 'had said that he'thought the .'Government, might possibly, help by pro- '•'•: ividing,a.certain amount of"cool storage ?/,: accommodation free at the .'large centres '. until the' industry was on "a better foot- .. ing. - This; had been done in the case of .■ the butter,industry. '. '." .: ': :." ' v \ ■':■'■■'■ Ort the motion of Mri'C. H. Mackay, • !Boconded by Mr.-.TVhilty, ;it ; was resolved -•; ; to'.ask , .'the Government .for' facilities for . .;cool.storagp on fruit in ■' -'.-.■ As evidence of the, bad stato of the ■■■ y.WellingtonHnarket,"one v grower produced : . -•' : his.- account;• sales- for SO cases '■ of- : apples ■ ; ! and.pears, the .bulk of which, were choice. •':desEcrt; ; .'.Tlie, prices .ranged from 2s: 6d. 'to.ss. a case. The gross returns for the ■-;": SO' bilshels y vfav6 r M: 12s. lid.' Charges: '.-. . Comniissidn,-. 135.: freight, V £1 lls. ! 3d.; ■■' ■'. cartage' and : wharf age, lls.', 9d.; receiving ■ Y aid'delivering, 'ds-jid;; total,; .£3 Os. 2d. '-'■''.'leaving lor the ,grower,.; £S 12s. -fld , .; or ,' : about 25.-3d. a .bushel, and .from this -he ,'-..must, deduct the. cost of .'case and .wharf-. '■ .'age at:his.''end, which would leave .him: ■'■less thaivls.;9d..a bushel'.to , pay;. him for. his year's work of fruitgrowing. '.'■•