WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON NEWS

PROTECTION FOR FRUIT.

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON. July 30,

The New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation met in Wellington last week and there was the inevitable deputation to Ministers. That has become a chronic habit year after year with respect'To':, various associations, federations, societies, chambers, etc. The piece de- resistance presented by the fruitgrowers upon the unoffending Ministers of the Crown was protection. The member* 'of.*"the ■Fedfertftftin who advanced the claim for protection said that the,main part of,the industry in New Zealand was in. respect of apples. Exports amounted to about a million cases a year, and. local consumption supplies were about the same. Apples were imported in -large quantities at a time when our cool stores were full of our own produce and they were competing against the locally-grown fruit. This appears ttFbe la' very poor argument for protection. Foreign apples apples are imported when New Zealand apples ,are in cold store, and the foreign apples compete with the latter. That apparently is not fair for it

does not permit the owners of apples x in the cold store to fix their own price, and so i the Govermhent is asked to keep* oilt ••these 1 apples'. Tf ‘ foreign apples wter©! kept ciut of-the country by high protection what a’ rollicking good time l the would have in fleecing the public.' ' There would be all sorts of reasons for “stabilising” the price of appleSF*! >. The ; imported- ’• apples have to pay transport chafges-' find a duty of l}d a lb and<. yet. can compete ' successfully with the - locally grown. -Why? The imported apples, and they are mainly from - -tlie - United’ States, are selected and graded and are of excellent qualify; the New Zealand apples in cold store are second grade, or a grade lower than the million cases exported. That is one.reason why apples are imported notwithstanding the duty of l£d per lb. And this competition is desir-

able, otherwise the price of apples l-o the unfortunate local consumers would he raised to a point where apples would be beyond tlie reach of all but tV comparatively-wealthy.-There was a demand -that the duty on grapes • should be raised from Id to 3d per lb because importations are increasing, and' ’a’ few grapes' grown in the‘North Island. Other requests were that -the duty on : raspberries and gooseberries should he increased from 3d to' 2}d-'a lb, on- passion fruit, apricots and'poaClifes from 5 Id'to 2d, and that restrictions be 1 placed on'imports during the height of the season. Tlie duty'on cherries they wanted increased from Id to 4d per lb or alternatively that restrictions should be placed on imports from Australia from November 20th to January 20th. It would be clearer and more comprehensive to the public; if the request were couched in plainer language. If the deputation said:. “Shut out the Australian cherries from ffche market ' from November 20th to.-.,January" 20th so that we may exploit|tbe consumers, and when we have finished the Australians can be let in-.itb.jgGt what they can.” It will be there is no consideration for thei’eonsumers, who, if left to the tender 'of, the. fruitgrowers would;.have very little fruit', to bat for the would he too ftigh for most of •' if ButAwh.v do our fruitgrowers want protection against fruit that has to travel -many miles and is subject to many charges? It would be pertinent for the consumers to ask the growers iwhether they are conducting their business on right lines. Have the fruitgrowers paid fancy prices (for their land,-the same as the tomato growers, for the latter claim that some of the

7£ miles of glass houses in Christ-

church are built on land worth £SOO per acreF Assuming that the land and the glass houses together are worth £SOO peijl.'acro at.current rate of interest, £3o|per acre must be "obtained before'.L&here can be any profit, hot counting;':the costs. People are not grow tomatoes, or cherries, 'or raspberries or any other of the stone fruits or berries. They have engaged in the industry because they could earn a competence,, and how* theyhave apdiscovered that if they had the NeWvZealaiid -market to themselves they woiald make fortunes, seek the assistance of tKe Government to help them in-welching the consumers. Of course, they do not put it so 'crudely us that. If a complacent Government, would restrict imports and allow the growers to “stabilise” prices ■i he industry would go ahead by leaps and bounds, but there is nothing said ■about the profits that would be scooped in. Fruit, and cheap but good fruit, is a necessity of the people whether rich or poor and it is hoped that the Government will not lend itself to penalising the people. Tariff walls arc easily erected but they are not as easily demolished.