IMPORTED GRAPES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 4

IMPORTED GRAPES.

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPERS SHY. It was during the New Zealand Exhibit tion that the restriction aguiust the importation of Australian grapes was raised chiefly through the agency of Mr. J, Scott, Commissioner for South Australia. An embargo had some years before been, placed on Australian grapes owing to the spread of tho dread vine disease phylloxera, but the cure was steadily and persistently applied until South Australia and a good part of New South Wales were "clean" districts. Still, the embargo remained, and still the public had to pay from '2s. to 3s. per lb. for good grapes. Mr. Scott was given permission by the Government to import several boxes of grapes from Adelaide, lha Ministers, merchants, and pressmen tasted them, and found them delicious. Much! was written and spoken about the objection to the general importation of Australian grapes, and at length tho Oovernment decided to permit them to bo imported, subject to being 'accompanied by a certificate setting forth that they came from a district i'reo of phylloxera. And so Australian grapes cunio to New Zealand. How long they will continue to come is another matter. The result of.the past five seasons has been tho very reverse of satisfactory to those who ship on consignment, and as tho present season's prices are no better than previous ones, there is a prospect that tho qunnhtv of grapes imported from Australia will decrease annually, as shippers realise that there is little or nothing in the trade. "The buvers here will not pay tn« pric?s," said 0110 fruit merchant consulted! "They know the retail trade well enough, and know how far *« go-but tint far is not enough to make the business a payable one. The average pwca realised for the last lot Irom houthAu* tralia was 12s. 2d. per ease (of about 301b.). This'is the cost of a case:— e. d. Price of fruit at Adelaide 3 0 Boxes and cork packing J b Rail to Mclbourno I •{ Steamer freight to Wellington 1 u Duty (Ul. per lb.) 2 6 Wharfage and cartage 1 0 10 fl "This does not allow for 'stops,' and 'slopped' cases only bring about half the usual price." Why? ■ "Simply because they do not contain the sanio'quuntitv of fruit. Tho Agricultural Department's oiliccrs empty out one case out of a particular line for inspection, and another for weighing. Cases so treated nro called 'stops,' and tho buyers at the markets know them at a glance, mid bid accordingly. • So that with those- 'stops' and tho risk of fruit going off in transit, tho game U not worth the candle." By yesterday's Syiluey man a local fruit merchant received a letter from Adelaide stating that the vintage tun season was very light, owing to damage done bv frost last winter, and that a lot had been burnt up by the cxcessivo heat which had been experienced. Prices ruling in Adelaide were the highest for somo vears, and unless they could get a guaranteo of from 12s. to 13s. per case they would not ship. . "Well, he can't get. a guaranleo from us," was the merchant's comment. Another letter, also from Adelaide, •dated that owing to tho great heat (ho grape crop had been reduced by onethird, nml as prices were high '"Adelaide, Uiey would not trouble to ship on ''"ThfNo'f South Wales shippers wore just as dissatisfied with the conditions as llmse of South Australia, and shipments were pretty restricted this year.