N.Z. MARKET FOR DRIED FRUITS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 514, 17 November 1928, Page 16

N.Z. MARKET FOR DRIED FRUITS

PREFERENCE FOR EX-SOLDIERS

The metropolitan vice-president of j the Returned Soldiers’ League, Mr. L. A. Robb, who is on a visit to New j Zealand, has informed League officials in Sydney that he interviewed the Dominion Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, with the object ot extending the sale in New Zealand of dried fruits from soldier settlements on the Murrumbidgee Irrigation area, and from other soldier settlement areas in Australia. At the latest congress of the , league in Sydney, it was decided to j have representations made to the New Zealand Government for preference for Australian-grown fruits. Mr. Robb states that, on arrival in New Zealand, he waited on the railway station at 6.30 a.m. in order to catch the Prime Minister as he was going North. Mr. Coates seemed surprised that no preference prevailed, and promised to get in touch with the j Customs Department. Later, he j notified Mr. Robb that, until the Aus- 1 tralian and New Zealand Governments aranged for an alteration ot their reciprocal tariff agreement, 1. would not be possible to impose a duty on dried fruits grown in foreign countries. . Steps will now be taken by the league to enlist the help of the Com monwealth Government. The mam problem of the Digger fruitgrowers, i, is said, is that they cannot get sufficient markets for their fruits. If a tariff wall were put up against foreigners, New Zealand would become a valuable market.