THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 84, 4 September 1914, Page 2

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. The New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Conference opened to-day. Mr. R. P. Hudson (president) welcomed the delegates, who had come from Wellington, Nelson, Central Otago, Hawke's Bay, and Canterbury districts. (He regretted that the proposed apple shows had to be abandoned for the time 'being. A trial shipment of apples had been made to North America, but the returns were not yet to hand. Much was I hoped fot from this market, when it [ was placed on a firm footing. With reI'spect to the future of the industry, there Was every .prospect of an export trade developing by leaps and bounds. It was a matter of urgent importance that ney markets for fruit should be opened up. It was resolved to set .up a committee to go into the question of the constitution and finance of the federation. It was resolved (1) "That the conference again strongly urges upon all fruitgrowers' associations to combine under one nomenclature, viz., the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation; also (2) That it is advisable that more definite arrangements be made for all fruit to bo loaded into and discharged from ships on trays." » Amongst the remits tffere proposals for a Government standardised fruit case, improvement in the present system of space booking for overseas export, copyrighting and other protection* of newvarieties of fruit and vegetables, removal of duty on fruit tanning machinery, ■planting of trees suitable for producing fruit case tipiber, state overseas transport service, continuance of the Government guarantee of Id per lb. on experimental shipments of fruit. It was resolved to urge the erection of examining sheds at Hastings, Nelson, and Motueka, in addition to the sheds at the four chief centres. The conference continues to-morrow.