THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2202, 15 July 1914, Page 8

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

PROPOSAL FOR STATE AiD. The - Eight Hon. W. F. MASSEY moved the second reading of the Fruit Industry Amendment Bill. He reminded the' House of the passing of the. Act of last year, and said that the fruitgrowers had asked that the, Government should make possible the erection of big cold stores at the ports of export instead of smaller cold stores at smaller i'ruit-giwing centres. Hence it was now proposed that the amount that could l»o advanced, by l the Government for the purpose of establishing cold stores or fruit-canning establishments' in any district should be increased from £3000 to £9000. The limit of the amount 'which the Government could lend for this purpose in any one year was still fixed at £25,000. The apple-growing industry was progressing by leaps and hounds, tn 1912 the export was in round figures 15,000 cases, in 1913 it was 33,000 cases, and in 1914, before the end of the export season, when tl-.o figures which lie was quoting were taken out, it had reached So,ooo cases. And the increase wns still going oil. Also. t'lo amount of land bein£ pr&m-ud for auplo

"" "growi ng"~wa y •and this year-it was estimated that tlio amount under, oultivation would be 41,600 acres. This .moant: that' thero would bo an inorease for the year of 3000 but from . what ho had seen JiiinsolMio was inclined to believe that' the increase would bo very much more. Especially had ho noticed this develop-' . mont in Moutero'and in Central Otago. lie was also glad'to say that some dc- . mand had set in,for tho guin lands in the far iiorth. It was said that theso lands were so poor that they could not be profitably, used, but much of the land was similar in character to tho Mout&ro Hills, wliero fruit-farming was very success*ulr . Recently a .commission had • been set up to report upon the best means of utilising tho gum lands, and that commission had prepared one of tho most valuable reports' lie had over seen. He believed_ . great ' good would result from it. . Consequent upon" the 1 report he had appointed, an officer to look especially after the settlement . of gum lands north of Auckland and matters in connection with'the, gum industry. Most people were under tho impression that tlio gum industry would be very soon a tiling of . tho pafct. Ho had himself held that opinion, but bo had changed his view. He believed now that ■ it would go on for-a very long time. '.Time was when the Government liad.devotod some attention to developing and fostering the dairying industry. Now timos were changing, and tho turn of tho fruit-growing industry had come. ■! Ho . believed that almost as goqd results would accruo to the country from tho development, of the fruit-growing indus- . try; as from the 'development of the dairying industry. Cuard Against Speculators. '■' SIB .JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) said that , he regarded l the fruit-growing .industry !s; ono of the most important in the: country. There was ono thing they had to guard against—that was the spec-'' ulator in , fri\it lands, " and it applied equally to the Native lands, They would have to provido a mandatory , residence clauso when fruit lands wero taken up. Ho had had instances of considerable portions of fruit-growing lands • being ■ taken up purely for speculative purposes'. With:the Squth American'markets opening: up, fruit was going to become, he thought)- the.fourth- greatest article of export from' tlio Dominion. ■ Therefore,' any practical proposal - for preserving fruit, etc., should have the cordial support of everyone, in tho House. ''■"■'', ■ Mr. H. ATMORE / (Nelson) warmly commended tlio proposal. Mr. G. WITTV (Rlccarton) thought that the Bill did not go far enough. ■ He thought that it should apply 11'ot iinly to those 'who proposed starting ' cool stores,, but' ■" to . those who ' had . already started them... Valuation of Fruit Land. Mr. W. A. VEITCH. (Wanganui) said that tlie. proposed amendment was to; help fruit-growers by cool stores, after they had developed their lands and were really growing fruit;. He believed tlie Government could 'go ;One further, and allow tlio. Valuation Department to value tho land up to the fruit-growing value, and'not up to the agricultural valuo. If .that was - done the Advances Department would.-be able to advance more money for development purposes. Tho cool storage scheme-was au excellent proposal, .but:it only , assisted-the ' grower after he had "got'over the hill." Mr. A. HARRIS; (Waitemata) ,6aid that the only- thine: the industry needed was assistance, and he was , very pleased to see that tlie Government was now giving that assistance. , • Mr. L. M. ISITT ; (CliristchurchNorth), after; commending the _ Bill, pointed out that while the inspection of . orchards was very thorough in the largo fruit-growing'centres, the. ■ inspection was not' very good 1 in the suburbs iwhero fruit was grown. -V . "Two Rabbit an Acre Land. SIR WALTER BUCHANAN' (\\ mi rapa) said that' the 'figures, quoted by; the Prime Minister'with regard to the fruit-growing indistry' >-ere Very.;' eatis-f factory.! It- went .'without saying that' tho proposal to have larger cool'stores in the big centres was • a ' better onothan the haphazard building of smaller stores in many districts.' Ho reminded the member for Nelson that on one of his Hying squadron tours lie had ridi- : culed the proposals of the Government 'to grow fruit on what lie termed: "two rabbit an acre land.". : Now, Mr. Atmore Was before a; different audience, and consequently he had adopted a,different tone. He hoped the Government would continue to give attention to the fruit industry. Mr. G. W." RUSSELL (Avon) urged that the Government should see that when men were cutting up land for sale for fruit: culture,, the land was really suitable for .this purpose. Perhaps it would bo possible to insist upon-; a man offoring.friiit land fof sale got-: - ting some certificate, from the Agricultural Department. The 6ale of uhsuit-j able land, and the failure of men on tlie land in consequence would in time do harm to the industry. • Mr. Eraser: Do you want to throw all tho. responsibility on the Government ? , Mr. Russell said the Government could without taking responsibility by uiving a'guarantee still help settlers by j having analyses made, of soils) and. so' 011. ■ - Mr. G. 51. THOMSON (Diinedin North) said many growers made initial . mistakes by''planting'-the wrong kind • of trees, and he thought the Agricultural Department should be ready to givo growers' advice as to the class of j trees to be_ planted." An extension of] the work bbing done at Rnakura Experiment Farm* in ooaiiection with ascertaining the value of certain, trees for ' certain districts, would be desirable. Question of Markets. ) • Mr.-V. H. REED (Bay of Islands) . thought that the Government should' also direct- attention to markets. In 1 a very few years t.hey would have an export.-of-''lo,o.ooooo'.cases' of. apples. ( They did not now see a market for that quantity, and "tho, Government should j seek out markets for such an export trade. . ■ ■' 'Mr. , J. -.Hi BR\DNEY (Auckland West) said they had .been -told-that previous Governments had ■' assisted in the encouragoment of the fruit-growing industry. It rested with the present Government that they had started the industry in Auckland. Mr. R. SCOTT (Otago Central) said he was sure that tho provisions of the Bill would l>e welcomed in. all fruit- , growing ccnt-res. Mr. F. MANDER (Marsdon) thought that if tho system had been inaugurated in tho. past many people would have been comfortably settled on the cum lands of tho north. r, r ,' 'V. NEWMAN : (Wellington Last) said that wlion everyone was tnlking about, the apples of Nelson, and tho grapes of the north, they should consider tho possibilities of this district Wber" was better land for fruit growing than- in'Pongaroa, Akatarawa. Horcwhenua, and Levin ?Thev could not taste better wine than that produced at Kainara, and Wanganui..'A : Croat neglect had been shown to. the fruit-growing possibilities of this district. " The Outlook vary Cooa. The Right HOll. W. F. JIASSEY said ho was pleased with tlie friendly recep- ' tion accordcd to his Bill, and. pleased elso to note the optimism of membere about tho fruit industry. Ho was hoping to put into operation a system of advances for fruit growers on'tho line's of advances' to settlers, for what were known as improved farm, settlements. The advances would: have to be made very carefully, with conditions as to the varieties of trees to be planted. Ho was pot ready yet to announce tho scheme tb detail, but lie hoped to do so beforo Sue end of the session. The Agricultural Department had been doing their best to discovbr ,hcw;'markets for fruit, • and generally, tho outlook was .very

:go«rTinaeearrrooußß--Tiiiienc»-:-'wouiu-tako mucli.mbre fruit than they wero' 1 taking now, and the merchants thero wero rbady.to make contracts for five years in advance. Mr. Witty: Aro you grading? Mr, Massey: Not iii ovory caso; only when there was a guarantee given to shippers. . Mr. Witty: You ought to grade in any case. Mr. Massey: Something of tho kind will yet have to bo dono. The second reading was agreed to on the voices. HARBOURS AMENDMENT. ■ MACHINERY PROVISIONS. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER moved tho second reading of., tho Harbours Aiuondineut Bill, and said that it contained machinery provisions. Ho proceeded ,to deal with the various clauses. When thc.y wont into Committee on tho Bill lie hoped to able to give the cost of harbour board elections. , Tho majority of tlie clauses wero composed of remitswhich had como from tho Harbours Conference, and every facility would be given tho harbour boards to consider the provisions beforo the Bill went through the Committeo stages. - Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) said thero was one wide departure, in Clauso 4, enabling a payment of £1 Is./ 1 por day to harbour board members whilo in attendance at board "meetings, committee meetings, and also while con-ducting-.the board's business. That was in addition to reasonable expenses. Ho asked was the Government prepared to. lay down tho same rule with Togard to membors serving on all local If such a principle was laid down, lie did not know that he would oppose it. Ho did not sep tho reason for special consideration to harbour board members. He- disagreed with the proposal in Clauso 15, whereby a harbour board, in addition' to paying the cost of .advertising, etc., was only required to pay ten per cent, of election costs. Where , several electious took place on the same j (Jay, a levelling up of the charges should be made. Mr. T. M. ■ WILFORD (Hutt) suggested that -the Bill ought to be referred to the Harbours Conference and all harbour boards in tho Dominion. Mr.. J; .H. BRADNEY (Auckland West) said that the /'administration of a big shipping port liko Auckland, with a big revenue, was fast getting to be too much for a board. Probably the community would be served better by a .capable trust. He hoped the Minister would insist strongly on tho retention of for the shipping interests. ;' ' Tlie Bill was . read a second time on the voices.: '