NURSERYMEN CONFER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1992, 24 February 1914, Page 8

NURSERYMEN CONFER

;' COST OF LABOUR, MUST THE GROWERS "PASS IT ON?" (By Telegraph.—Preos Association.) Auckland, February 23. The probable effect cf the increasing cost of labour upon tho fruit trade was forecast by Mr. A. L. F. M'Donald in presiding over tho annual conference of the. New Zealand Association of Nurserymen, hekl'nn Auckland this morning. Mr. M'Donald said: "All over the world, the upward tendency of wages is making the cost of production greater, vnd T think that the nurserymen of the Dominion will havo to consider whether they should not follow the example,.of other employers, and place the extra cost on the public. At the present vo aretrying to shoulder tho burden ourselves, but I think that it will bo too great. It certainly will he if the demands asked at tho present time are granted." Mr. M'Donald added that, whilo Auckland and- i Christchurch - wero the only places where awards at present existed, other districts would, probably bo affected .shortly. If tho proposed Auckland :-award wero a favourable ono for. tho men, the natural consequence would bo ; that awards would be sought in other ; centres. In view of outside competition, i especially'from Australia, the matter ;. was' a serious one. If they stood on the ; same jevel they could hold their own, ' but tnis competition from Australia met them unfairly. That opened up the question "of "a duty or some other proposition that would protect New Zealand nurserymen. Packing and Crading. X)n the subject of packing and grading the .speaker observed that no doubt the want of experience in this branch resulted in considerable loss to many growers in marketing "their fruit. To obtain tho best results the grading audi packing should ho done at the wharf or railway siding, not by tho growers, but by the professional packer. Coming to tho question of varieties, Mr. Bennett forecasted that some, of tho New Zealand raised seedling' fruits, especially blightproof apples, must eomo to the fore, fhero was a great field for private or Government experimentalists, and if these experiments wero carried out on practical lines, many new- varieties, not only more blight-resisting, but more suited to tho climate, would ho raised. Meantime, they must plant what had been tested and proved.

Markets that Await Us. After mentioning that x numerically, tbo conference, was tho. strongest over hold, Mr. M'Donald plunged" into the prospects of tho trade._ lie declared tho outlook to.bo encouraging, and observed that, in view of the facts that the. export' fruit trado was 'still in its infancy, that in tho past orchards' had not been run on commercial lines, and that thousands of acres suitablo for fruit-growing, were lying'idle, it was very difficult indeed to gauge -tho potentialities of tho industry, particularly of the export trado. AVitli the opening of the Panama Canal eight or ten markets on tho Eastern side of tho States, wh icli wore at present closed to the trade, would be opened, while London would bo brought near-ir to their doors. Another considerable market in South America was grpwim: rapidly. "We hear." he concluded, " a good deal of croaking a Lout, the planting of fruit

trees being overdone, and the industry being ruined by ove.r planting, but I am not in sympathy with that at all. I havo not the slightest doubt that tho industry is just simply in its initial stages, and it is only waiting for tho samo energy and pluck that has been put into the butter and cheese industry to make it as grea> a success." Speaking on the subject of tho formation of District Councils in the various centres, .the president s.aid that, since the last conference, a District Council had been launched in Auckland to deal with purely local matters. There was no reason why there should not be councils in Dunndin, Christchurch, Wellington, Hastings, Napier, and Now Plymouth, or Wanganui. It would then be possible to hold interchangeable conferences. Ho suggested that the next conference should be held in Palmerstou. . , . s . . -. . .. . ' The Annual Report. Tho executive's annual report stated that a net gain of live members'during tho > year brought up the list of associated nurserymen in the Dominion to over 80. ' Notwithstanding strong representations to the Government, proceeded the report, it had been found impossible during the year to get the necessary amendments made in the various Acts to'enable the registration of nurseries to bo effected under the regulations, mutually agreed upon with the Agricultural Department. Next year they hoped to see definite action taken in the matters of establishing a Certificating Board, standardising the names of fruits, establishing standard grades for trees (with a view to securing equal prices for equal values in nursery stock), and tho setting up of a local Nurserymen's Council in all centres possible. Tho questions immediately concerning the executive were: (a) The cost of production in relation to retail prices, and (b) tho' problems of the credit trade. • Election of Officers. • -The conference proceeded to elect officersas .follow:—President, Mr. W. S! JTohiiston (Ponsqnby); vice-president, Mr. G. J. Mackay; committee, Messrs. D. A. Hay, IV. Bennett, W. W. Gliddon Richardson, E. Allen, and W. E. Lippiatt; horn secretary and treasurer, Mr. G. A. Green; auditor, Mr. ,W. W. Gliddon Richardson. The district vice-presidonts were re-elected with the addition of Messrs. E. C. Gibbons (Christchurch), 'A. Thompson (Gisr borne), and J; Nimmo, G. Howden, amffi S. Cousins (Otago). ' W

. Crading Nursery Stock. A long discussion on tho subject of grading nursery stock, upon a remit from 1 the executive, recommending the conference to adopt the American Nurserymen's Association's definition with such- necessary alterations as New Zealand conditions demanded. In tho course of the discussion it was suggested that the vice-presidents in the different districts should bo asked to give their views on the matter, while Mr.'T. W. Kirk (Director of tho Orchards Division of the Department of Agriculture), with other speakers, strongly urged that there should be some system of grading trees. Mr. D. A. Hay attributed the necessity for grading to tho inferior trees sent out by Australian nurserymen. • Tlie conference decided to endorse the principle of grading and formed a committee with power to act ■ which will communicate with the various centres and subsequently report their recommendations. - " .