CONGESTED FREEZING WORKS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 183, 29 April 1919, Page 8

CONGESTED FREEZING WORKS

DEMAND FOB INSULATED SHIPS. ■ Uy Telegraph.-I'rena Association. Hastings, April 28. A largo meeting of farmers on Saturday passed the following motions:— "That this meeting views with alarm the accumulation of frozen meat in New Zealand, and that the Government be ruquested to mako emphatic representation to the Imperial Government, impressing on it the extreme urgency of having the freezing works cleared before tho commencement of the next freezing season; and that tho Government should demand the restitution of the original position with regard to insulated .space formerly allotted to the Dominions." • "That' this meeting protests against tho inadequate space allotted to Hawkq's 13ay to the middle of May, ''which will not allow- the works'.'to kill the''available fata." :; " .' ''„""■ : ' - ■'■ During the .discussion one speaker said •that the only thing the farmers could do wns to let the English people know, through.the Press Association, that they have six million carcasses here bought at sd. per lb., and that Argentine'meal is Doing sold in England at Is. 2<l. per lb. A strong deputation was 'appointed to proceed to Wellington, in support of the resolutions. The meetiug' also appointed two farmers to give evidence before the Industries Commission,-fcaJY'ife-f^'Vfe' worried..,over, 6;;r, shifting. done 6o nicely by the New Zealand, Express Co. We were both delighted to see how wonderfully carefully everything was handled." 87-91 Customhouse Quay —Advt, ,

FRUIT GROWING INDUSTRY ■ _( —*- ——

SUGGESTIONS TOR KJIDUCING ' PKICES TO CONSUMES. JBy Telegraph—Press Association. Hastings, April 28. The Industries Committeo sat here this afternoon. Jfr. H. G. Apscy urged improved railway facilities, both in the way of speedier transit and properly ventilated trucks. He also advocated an increase of Government loans to cool storage companies from .£9OOO to .£15,000, owing to the enormous incrense in orchard acreage and consequent fruit production needing cool storage. . Mr. ■■ Thomas Hortoii, representing the nursery industry, said the nurserymen in Hawke's Bay paid wages- totalling ■£12,000 per year. The nurserymen were handicapped by the Government offering shelter and fruit trees at a price that would not pay for production. The Stategrown trees should not be supplied to wealthy Isettlers by beautifying their homesteads. Referring to imported trees. Mr. Horton 6aid tlio Fruitgrowers* Federation asked the nurserymen not to inoroaso the price of trees if the prohibition of the' Australian trees were carried into effect, and the nurserymen agreed not to increase the price for five years. The difficulty was that the cost of production hnd gono up and they could not raise the price. The chairman said that the Commission could not help the nurserymen in the matter of their agreement with another body, oven if they had made, a bad bargain. Mr. A. M. Robertson, president of the Bay Fruitgrowers' Association, said the public were not getting the benefit of the industry.. If fruit were sent into every. home New- Zealanders would becoino a fruit-eating community. Fruit should be made cheap to the. people. They had now storage for 70,000 cases, but the overhead charges and handling after leaving the orchards increased the cost 100 per cent. So advocated the New Zealand paper mills being encouraged to. make corrugated paste-board boxes. The demand for boxes was great. No fewer than 300,000 case's were sent out of Hawke's Bay last season. The Fruitgrowers' Federation was concerned in cheapening fruit. They were organising and linking up companies throughout New' Zealand with that object. The -public in the cities were not getting fruit at proper prices. The federation desired to have a depot at Wellington, and other centres, and they hoped to have their own delivery 60on, bringing fruit to their depots, thus saving the auctioneers' charges, to the benefit of growers and consumers.