FRUIT BY POST

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 10

FRUIT BY POST

DISCUSSION BY GItOWEIiS. The attempt of the present Government to assist ill tlio'.distribution of fresh fruit by eai'ri-inu'if'itt- a cheap rato througll ;tho post, fiiul by arranging for delivery 'thrbugtf y>io .'Kailway Department, Juts not received tho {lacking from orcliardists •that might liave been expected! Speak*injr ' at, tlio half-yearly meeting of the Xelson Fruitgrowers' Association, the ,-ec-' >ctary, "Hr.,. Molfutt, stated 1 hat only two tots of fruit had been sent through tho-jiost blfi'co at' Alotueka this year. It was: t0..b0 regretted that tlio fruit-growers •had. not moro fully availed themselves of the system. - Mr. lloldaway , (iroutere) said hist' sas.'sociation. hadwno oilico close enout'h to jthe'wharf to deal with small quantities, (but. later on they.hopeil to do something. ;'JIo believed tho scheme was a good one. 3Cr. .•Al'Keo also approved the scheme, ,biitione, r weal;ness, to, him was that if an association, sent' 100 cases they would have 'to moKo 'out'J.OO bills of lading ami pay ,10.0 wfcpfqges ,at each cfid. Under tho post oftico .sehemu.it would cost an asso-;ciatiou'-S|/:.*-S(l., .us against 10s. by a pri'vato individual. Ho thought a fixed price should be,' liuulo to convey fruit to any part of th&,'Doniiuicn. . . Jlr.'AUp'Jvt thought the seh.emo was an ' excellent, one',; but. the fault was (hat ,'tho private c'onsumcr in the largo towns linew nothing idwut it. ' 31 r. Kirk, of Vtihe Agricultural Department, pointed out'that; the growers never advertised tlio prices they were prepared to accept," .Tlio associations had mntle absolutely iio attempt to. take up the scheme, ••'tho Itailway- Department was now enMeavouring 'to liavo fruit shipped from Hag stations. If it could Lc arranged for stamps.to I)6'issued by tho post oilico to put"un tlio cases it would be of advantage'. ,Ho. did not think n uniform I'ato. V.'ouh! 'work, as it might 1j» the means of increa! .ng tho price to tl|ii consumer near at hand. Tho president (Mr. 1!. 11.I 1 . Hudson) nrgod that a. centralising scheme should lie adopted, 'flip prist office yclieme of dhtri'liution. etmld, in his opinion, only be jiiade'ii. siicOcss if the iederatiun took .il