TOMATO CULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1916, Page 2

TOMATO CULTURE.

■ *l A XELSON PROTEST. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, April 13. A deputation representing tho tomatogrowers of the Nelson district waited upon the Prime Minister yesterday in order to place before him their views regarding the importation of tomatoes from Raratonga. They stated that within the last two year's tomatoes had begun to reach the Dominion from f|ara tonga in very large quantities, and the island-grown fruit was sold very cheaply on tl)e markets on which the local growers had to depend, Tho men represented by the deputation bad to pay 10s a day for labor and big prices for land, while the growers in Raratonga could get land for next to nothing and labor for 2s a day. Competition under these circumstances was unfair, and the deputation suggested that the Dominion's labor laws should be applied to the island, which was officially a part of New Zealand. The Prime Minister, in reply, mentioned that Raratonga could not' be regarded as a foreign country. It was a dependency of New Zealand, and was entitled to entrance to the New Zealand markets. The interests of the consumer 'had to be taken into consideration also, but he would look into the matters that had been raised by the deputation.