TOO DRASTIC

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 409, 19 December 1932, Page 5

TOO DRASTIC

. AN IMPORTER'S VIEWS I Wellington, Saturday. "Personally I think the Government has gone too far," said a prominent importer, when invited to discuss the effect of the embargo, on Australian fruit. "It seems that the embargo will cause a famine in citrus fruits, which cannot possibly come from any country but America." If the embargo continued, he would be a brave man who would continue importing from America. A ship was just about to leave there for New Zealand, and it was highly improbable that shipments by that

vessel could be arranged for in time. Apart from transport costs, there was the high cost of conversion. Naturally, any American fruit had to be sold at a high price, and eonsequently it had a limited market. "It seems to me that the Government has been paying too much attention to the talk of some small growers," said the importer. "It has to be remembered that factories have been importing pulp and will continue to import it, to the detriment of raspberries and similar fruits. Pulp will still be admitted, so the embargo will not benefit the small growers. That point is important. "Supposing we have an outbreak of influenza, or some such epidemic, v/here are our citrus fruits to come from?"