TOMATOES FROM ISLANDS

Evening Star, Issue 19802, 28 February 1928, Page 3

TOMATOES FROM ISLANDS

HEW ZEALAND GROWERS ANXIOUS PUBLIC TO BE CONSIDERED [Special to the ‘ Stab.’} WELLINGTON. February 27. The Christchurch Tomato and Stone Fruit Growers’ Association considered last week a letter which Sir Mam .Pomarc. Minister in Charge ol the Cook Islands, had written to the Auckland Provincial Fruit Growers’ .Council on the subject of the importation ol Look Islands tomatoes. , , Sir Maui stated to-day that the published report of the meeting indicated that ho had declined to entertain the request that the importation of these Rarotonga tomatoes should be prohibited during the months of November and December, merely on tho .ground that tho Cook Islands were an integral part of New Zealand, and that it was no more reasonable to suggest that this fruit should bo stopped than that produce should not be allowed to go from tho North Island to the South Island. He stated that while this was the real principle involved, nevertheless there was a practical side to tho issue which was of great concern to the public of the dominion. The portion of his letter to the secretary of tlic Ancle.- I rovineial Fruit Growers’ Council which had not been published was as follows :

Apart from any question ot principle, 1 think I should point out that during the mouths of November nun December, 192 G (the latest available official figures) there were imported into the dominion from the Cook Islands 204,7941b5‘ and 346,1081bs of tomatoes respectively, or a total for two months of 550.9021b5. These were

valued at Rarotonga for export purposes at 3s 6d per lb. During tho months of November and December. 1926. the quantities of locally-grown tomatoes placed on markets were 225,6281 bs and 833,8041bs respectively, or a total of 1,059,4321b5. Tho average retail price of this fruit was Is 4}d per lb. It will thus be seen that the Cook Islands supplied the local market with approximately onethird of the total quantity of tomatoes available to tho public during these months. The effect, therefore, of the adoption of your proposal would be to deprive the people of tho dominion of one of their . principal sources of supply of this highly valuable food fruit

Sir Maui concluded that he thought tho public of the dominion were entitled to know exactly how they would ho affected by the proposal of the dominion tomato growers to shut out Rarotonga tomatoes.