THE ORCHARD TAX

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2895, 6 October 1916, Page 7

THE ORCHARD TAX

: __ $ _ ORGANISING THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. ■ llegulations regarding the l-cgistra-tiou of orchards and collection of the orchard tax aro published in t&is week's "Gazette." Every occupier of ail orchard is required within tho next three we«ks to apply_ to tho Director of tho Horticulture Division of the Department of Agriculture for tho registration of the orchard. He must state whether or not any fruit has been sold from tho orchard during the past year. The orchard tax, which is to be collected under tho Orchard' Tax Act, 1916, is to bo paid to tho New Zealand Fruitgrowors' Federation, to be utilised for all or any of the following purposes-.—• , (a) Tho establishment and maintenance of tho registered office of the federation. ■ (b) The payment of salaries and travelling expenses of oflicers in the employ of the Federation. t (c) Tho purchase of orchard requisites required by the Federation for testing purposes. (d) The investigation; testing, and opening up of new markets for tho export of fruit.

(e) Tho organisation and improvement of local fruit markets. (f) Tho defraying of expenses in connection with excoutivo meetings of the Federation, and tho annual conference of fruitgrowers.

The Christeliuroli correspondent of a Dunedin paper telegraphs: Tho big Armour Packing Company, of Chicago, aro starting operations' in tho meat trade in Now Zealand, with Ohristchurch. as their centre, under the title of Armour and Co., Ltd.'(Australasia). Mr. N. W.. Kingdom, general manager of Armour and Co. (Australasia), in an interview, denied that tho Armour Company is a meat trust.' "We are hero to do business in tho same way as other firms," ho said. "Wo havo rod nothing to hide. Wo aro coming right out into tie open, and putting all oiir cards on tho table." Further reference to tho description of the company as a trust caused Mr. Kingdom to remark: "You've got. State-owned railways and many other meat companies, some of which are co-operative, and you havo anti-trust legislation, so we couldn't havo ovorything our own. way, even if wo wanted to." Roplying to questions, Mr. Kingdom stated that his company will- content themselves for the present, with buying, and will not' erect any refrigerating plant in tho Dominion. "There is quite enough refrigerating plant in.tho country to meet the demand likely to be made upon it for somo time to come. I

think," he said, "We aro just going to jog along and get organised ready for normal conditions ' to ' return." Mr. Kingdom is very well known in tho meat trade in Australasia. He. was for somo time with the firm of Thos. Bortliwick and Son, and subsequently was manager of the Gladstone Moat Company in Queensland.