THE FRUIT TRADE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1926, Page 2

THE FRUIT TRADE

EFFECT OF PI?EFEBENCE. NELSON, June 12. Commenting on the Imperial Economic Committee’s fruit report, Sir Henry Jones, of Henry Jones Cooperative. Ltd., of Hobart, who at present is visiting Nelson, said that preference was a fine tiling for the dominions, but lie did not think voluntary preference would be much good. The principle was all right, but was not sufficiently concrete to get us very far. Sir Henrv did not think private preference either would accomplish much.

“ It would he.” he added, “a great thing for England if we could get preference ion both sides. The only possible far-reaching policy is a co-opera-tive one. based on mutual preference.” Sir Henry, who is evidently a firm believer in trading within the Empire, went on to say that if properly developed the dominions and colonies could grow sufficient fruit to meet all of Great Britain's requirements, and the work of production could easily absorb the million of unemployed at present on the dole in England. Let the unemployed emigrate and they could help to grow all the produce the United Kingdom could absorb. “Your apple crop in Nelson last season,” went on Sir Henry, “was about five hundred and fifty thousand eases, a very small proportion of the total trade. Even the whole of your Dominion crop would he quite a negligible quantity. You have almost unlimited opportunities of expansion if you can be assured of a profitable export market. We load this season forty-two ships in Tasmania with two million two hundred thousand cases of apples. This is nothing to what we could do if encouraged with preference. I will lie very glad if T can co-operate with your growers and association to promote the welfare of exporters to the Home market, either by effecting straight-out sales to buyers in England or making reasonable advances against all consignments -oa growers’ account. T pioneered this i#_ dustry in Tasmania and am well acquainted with all the requirements'of the Hume market.”