FRUITGROWERS' CONFERENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 82, 23 August 1912, Page 5

FRUITGROWERS' CONFERENCE

DEPUTATION TO THE GOVERNMENT By Telegraph— Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. A 1 deputation representing the New Zealand Fruit-growers' Association, which recently sat in conference in Wellington, waited on the Prime Minister to-day and discussed various questions regarding the industry. Mr. Sisson urged that there should be a standard size of eases for apples and pears, and also that when municipal markets we're' erected, auctioneers selling fruit should be compelled to use them. The regulations in regard to imported fruits should not be relaxed, as it was necessary to keep out disease. Mr. W, Purvis presented si remit urging the Government to advance money for the cool storage of fruit in the main centres of production, the Graders' Association tn pay interest and sinking fuwL.- He_also protested against the importation of nursery fruit. Mr. Hudson asked that th& Government should supervise all shipments of fruit for export, especially in regard to grading, and that there should be a rebate of the duty on wrapping paper, which could not be manufactured in the Dominion. A renewal of the guarantee of a penny in the pound on fruit shipped to the United Kingdom was also asked for. The proposal to plant gum lands with prison labor waa protested against. Mr. Sisson asked that a reward should be given for the discovery of a preventive of a fruit disease known as woolly aphis. The Prime Minister said that the government had no intention of utilising prison labor on gum lands. They wished to encourage the establishment of fruit farms by private enterprise. He would recommend the Government to continue the penny a pound guarantee. They must maintain their reputation by producing and exporting a good article. Their recommendations would receive every consideration from the Govern- | ment.