FRUITGROWERS MEET

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2768, 11 May 1916, Page 8

FRUITGROWERS MEET

;,,■ THJB»DOMINK)N CONFERENCE

i|-.g PAST YEAR'S;WORK / t';;-.^The;; : aMual'meeting.of' the-New Zea-land-Fruitgrowers' Federation -was openp-' «d at.tho.Town. Hall yesterday morning. ; W.Attwood,; of Warkworth (Auckland), elected chairman. •■''."■ .before, ordinary business Was. proceed-. f';.ed'with, : votes of thanks were passed to :.:;; the-I'M'ellington-Moutere Association for ;.: the'active interest'shown in connection :: .with" the National Patriotic ApDle Show \,v>;hich'-.is being,held at the Town '-Hall; tU to, municipal'authorities for the use p. W to the ..Mayor (Mr. J. P. j,. Luke) and Mrs. Luke, as well a 9 tho Defc. -partinent-ot' Agriculture and its. officers j?y : .tpr assistance given, -~' .'.... £-;>''>iV-i;' : - ANNUAL'REPORT. "',' U; : '; report,' which • was adopted, h; stated- that it was with, very much re-f-A;gret*~that the conference had -to; meet !-;,with!tho affairs of the federation in much K.the state as they were' at,the tcr- }'-.' liiination ...of the conference of 1915. It i: iwould.be remembered that at that time ;.: u-veiyv'successful meeting Was" held," at |;'.' ; .which "the groundwork- was, laid for the (-..-. Tearing of a. most useful: organisation. A [';,..constitution.:was approved, and it 'was (.-..hoped, that, the orchard registration fee i f.: at Is.!per acre would be passed through j;..."the;.Legislature, Owing-to tho war, how- !; ever,, and the. groat pressure put upon the .Ministers of.the Crown, last session, j. it had .to be shelved.; The provisional j l "..'directors elected at the.conference subset/fluently elected Mr. S. Martell .chairman !...,:-pro.,.teni., and it was left with hiin to I';. ,tind;:.a .secretary and - call tho ■ directors ):.- -together -at a later date. V "'< ■ f; ; ,_,:The;;directo'rs, with : Mr-. T. W. -Kirk, !•■■':. interviewed ..the shipping representatives, ;.; ond; endeavoured to secure space for ex-j-s perime'ntal shipments to England,. this. f,'-: -year,,-While the. shipping people Were friable, to fall in: with the. views of the ; ; . federation for- this, year, . they • promised (i;: : to- make arrangements for next season, 5-~ and-'also to' see .that ships- building were fc. (provided jvith suitable. chambers for ?■. carrying .New Zealand fruit.- ' -• •'• £:■•• Early; in., the, year one of the directors fe, resigned, and enlisted- in the Tunnelling K Corps.,;On'September,lo; 1915, alj fruitgrow- [-..-. ers' .were supplied, with copies [ -{'■' of the •federation's' constitution and' peti-i>:,:tion,-forms Regarding the Is. per acre levy for signature, ji-'A. number of petitionu were-signed, but •;, oiying. to the closing- down,of the session l they we're not in time to. be used. jft, In-' January, the federation waited on ;-j-,tho 'Minister) of Agriculture, and .asked f'that:;the,officers of the Department of j:--;Agriculture.be allowed to assist in ob- ,-, taming .signatures to the petition, or to j provide', a; sufficient sum to enable the j-; federation, to' make a thorough canvass \- of the Dominion. After: careful considj .'eration,"'the' Government said that it (-■ '. cou^.'l: ' n °t ' s ee .its -way 'to graut a subsidy" -:.-.;.■■ to assist, the federation's-organisation. ;'■ ;'■'■; In view of tho assurances:'.repeatedly >~- |iveh: by'tho federation that a largo ma-; i, ; jority.'of .the fruit-growers of the DoniinS, iqnwere .in;.favour of the orchard regis'i\ tration fee of Is. periacrc, t •tuent is now prepared to waive the pre- - 6entatidn' of tho petition." Further,', the' i; .Government-' is willing to -'prepare leg-''' [■:' islation providing for. the collection of ;. the fees and handing them to the feder--1; ition,; and submit the . Bill'. to ParliaI ,ment..on the understanding that'if'any' t generalj opposition is raised by ,tho fruit % growers,:contrary to the assurances, of the *- fe'deratiohi .then tho Government may /.. consider,'the' matter j)f proceeding with ! tho.Bill.. : It was gratifying' to knowv • that: there was not the, slightest opposi- !.- tion-in any of the fruit-growing districts m rthe 'Dominion to the Is. per acre fee. The. federation, had to see that .the Gov- .; emment'jfulfilled its undertaking : in- this matter:.-.- During .the; second "week of April: the P.rime Minister,was interviewed witn-respect to the difficulty of sending; fruit,: to South America. - i ,of, retaining the present. (;.dnty on-.fruit was also mentioned, and {:. it, ivas;being considered by-Cabinet. With fcV'ft- view of.restraining.the over L supply of I fruit -; from overseas, the Government j.; was also asked: to communicate with tho }•:.,countries which export to New Zealand, !-.- informing them of- tho "shut-out" supply H ..which would -be on. New Zealand local ;.- markets.": In view of the increasing sup- ) plies, of .apples tiii'. New: Zealand, it was ; thought; "that in future ''this counh'y !-.'would-be'able to supply' at reasonable s .prices -all apples required for home, con- ;-. sumption;; and this it was held obviated ;. the_ necessity for reducing the duty. l f - TJie--Minister'"of "Railways was urged f to have'- ; a through Wking scheme j. "brought .into operation as early as posf-. 6ible. ,/:.-:-

The 'balanco-sheet- showed the receipts Eorflio-year to" bd "iIGO 9s. 4'd., while the

expenditure left a credit balance of X 75 17s. '3d. REMITS CONSIDERED. A motion to the effect that the Government fix tho duty permanently on fruit at Id. per lb. was lost. On tho motion of Mr. J. Bennett, seconded by Mr. J. H.-Waith, it was resolved to ask the Government to push on with the construction of roads and railways'in fruit-growing districts, so as to facilitate, the industry. . A short discussion took place on the question of allowing birds and' animals to be liberated in fruit-growing districts. It was. stated that these "pests" ruined many crops of fruit. It was finally resolved that before permits are issued to acclimatisation societies to liberate birds and animals, the fruitgrowers' association in the district be communicated with. It was also-decided to. ask for the protection for opossums, California quail, rooks, and crows to be removed. ' Regarding the exportation of whitepine timber, tho opinion was held that the Government should be asked to put an export duty on shipments leaving New Zealand. Subsequently a motion to that effect was adopted. • ' -, Tho conference "adopted a suggestion that a deputation should wait on. the Minister of Agriculture and the Civil .Service Commissioner, with the object of obtaining improvements in the instruction branch of the Agricultural Division. A motion: "That owing to tho increase in. the areas planted in fruit trees the time has arrived when more inspectors should ; be appointed," was carried. "That this conference again affirms tho principle of the Orchard Registration Foe' of Is. per acre, and that the Government be urged' to bring it into operation immediately," was a resolution . which, was carried unanimously.

ALTERING THE CONSTITUTION. Practically the whqle of the afternoon's; session was taken up by a. discussion on tho question of altering the constitution. .Mr, A. Wilson (Auckland), who moved the resolution,-explained at the outset that as the present idea of v the federation was a trading. bodyi, it * was found to be impracticable. ' It' was propose"U that the rules of the federation be altered -in- the direction, of giving it an advertising constitution. The main ol.jects of the federation would then be to procure outlets for the fruit of the Dominion through Jjoth local.and export trade. Briefly, those objects were as follow:— "To promote, -foster,, and protect the fruit industry throughout the Dominion, and to establish a closer'■bond.of unity tin'd co-operation amongst all'.those engaged in the production of any kind of fruit.,.- •' -,' ;,-. , ...

• "In the attainment of these objects the federation ■ shall have i>ower to engage in any business or enterprise calculated to advertise, extend, or otherwise advance the interests of .those it represents; "The federation (as- representing the' fruitgrowers of the Dominion) shall rcceivo as revenue the amount' collected yearly as orchard registration fees, ' Ten "per cent, of this revenue shall be paid'to the affiliated societies for ; maintenance and management :in proportion •to their'membership. . : ; ;;■;..'' ;■ "The federation' consist of registered societies of bona-fide fruit-groirers ■ willing to join the federation, sign. an application form, and take up one or moro shares in the federation, and whose members are willing to'pay the orchard registration fee of-Is.; per acre. Any society having a membership of twentyfive shall be' eligible to join. the federation."

- The forty delegates present. discussed the. whole.hiatter thoroughly, and it was finally' decided to appoint a sub-coiumit-teo to go into the subject, and. bring down a report.

Messrs. J. B, Touar, A. Wilson. A. P. Allport. .R. B. Hudson, M.P., J. H. Bennett. A. M. Robertson,- J. Lbngton, and H, E. Anderson were appointed the committee.- ' ;- ~