CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 469, 7 May 1890, Page 4

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

MEETING OF FRUIT-GROWERS. Auckland, May 3. At three o’clock yesterday afternoon a meeting of persons interested in the fruit industry was held at the Chamber of Commerce by invitation of the Local Industries Committee of the Chamber. About thirty gentlemen were present. Mr A. Bell presided, and referred to the amount of fresh and dried fruit that was imported into the colony annually. He noticed that in 1886, £351 worth of preserved fruits were imported, and in 18S8 £1,809. In 1886 the dried fruits imported, amounted to £5,739, and in 1888, this increased to £8,302. Currants imported in ISB6 amounted to £19,892, and in 1888, £26,677. Raisins in 1886 amounted to £19,130, and in 1888 £20,370. In 18S6, the fresh fruits imported amounted to £67,930, and in 1888, £55,525. In 1888, £6,751 worth of fruit pulp was imported, and in 1886 the jams and jellies imported totalled £12,172. In 1888, this had decreased to £5,308. With the exception of raisins and currants, he thought almost all the rest could be produced here. If they went into the matter properly, it would take them all their time to supply the consumption at home. He noticed that last month alone £Bl6 12s 6d worth of canned fruit was imported from California. That would mean from five to six thousand pounds worth for the year. The initial difficulty was the question of railway freight, as that must be cheapened before much could be done. They must try to get special concessions from the Railway Commissioners upon consignments of fruit. That was now being done in America. He believed that if the matter was gone into heartily, all the difficulties might be overcome, and a successful industry started. Mr Douglas stated that he believed the fruit industry would be the main thing in the future of the North of New Zealand. He said that he had collected an amount of information regarding a market for fruit, and he found apples would pay in San Francisco in April, May and June. There were also good maikets in Queensland and Brisbane. Apples would also pay in New York in March, April, May and June. Mr Douglas quoted from a letter to the effect that if Australia and New Zealand wished to have good prices the fruit must be packed better. It was also stated that lemons could be sold profitably in New York all the year round. He was perfectly convinced that the first thine they wanted was a market for their green fruit, but it would require a combination to do the thing properly Mr H, Waite said that he had now in hand about I,ooolb of preserved fruit. He thought too they might do something in the way of producing apple butter like that used in America. But fruit was too dear yet to be profitably canned or preserved. As far as fruit-drying was concerned, heinightpoint out thatit took 161 b of fresh fruit to produce one pound of dried fruit. Would it pay to sell that at eightpence per pound ? Yet it could be purchased at that price in this city. Mr Beacocke said that in California the canneries purchased fruit at less than a fathing per pound, and greengages at three farthings. He thought that the time had not yetarrived for canning fruitin thiscolony. With regard to dried fruit it should be remembered that only such fruit was evaporated as would otherwise have been wasted. He thought they wanted something to discuss. There should be something laid before them in the shape of proposals. He knew that fresh fruit had been sent to Honolulu, where it had realised good prices. The real fact was that at present they did not produce sufficient fruit to support a good export trade. Mr Barlow stated that in Cambridge he could not get enough apples to keep his evaporators going. Mr Carrie said that what they wanted was to produce cheap fruit and supply it to the people cheaply. The trouble was that the producer often got a poor price, and yet the public did not get it at a cheap price. What they wanted was a central depot for the sale of fruit. Mr Burns said that what they wanted was that the abominable thing now called a Market should be swept away, and a proper depfit for produce formed in its place. The Rev. Mr McCallum said that there were at least twenty millions of apple trees now producing fruit in California alone. Apricots could be purchased at from 1 cent to two cents per pound, whilst table grapes were bought at from 3 to 5 cents per pound. The Chamber might assist fruit growers by getting a proper market. The trouble was that at present there was only an apology for a market, with poultry, old clothes and broken furniture. Thus they were forced to trust to the auctioneer, who in turn was compelled to sell the fruit to shopkeepers at cheap rates in order to enable them to pay off old scores. Perhaps, too, the auctioneer himself sometimes belonged to a ring for exporting fruit. Then they must open up foreign markets, not in San Francisco, as they had too good a supply from Oregon. He could get a remunerative price for his fruit, and so could others if they only went properly to work. There were markets available in Brisbane, New South Wales, China, Rio Janeiro, Honolulu, Calcutta, Madras and Bombay. What they wanted was that the commercial men should open up these markets. But he must urge upon them that they had not enough fruit to go in for evaporating. Mr Waite said that it would be well to call a public meeting to consider the question of opening the Market-house for the sale of produce, instead of letting it remain a second-hand clothing establishment. They all knew that when it was leased to an auctioneer he would refuse to let stalls for the sale of produce, but demanded the right to auction it. Mr Bridgewater said that the main question was that of a market. He therefore moved, “ That immediate steps be taken to represent to the Corporation that it is most desirable that the Market be made available for the disposal of country produce as an open market, the same as in all the provincial towns in the Old Country.” This was seconded by Mr Parker, and unanimously adopted.