PIP FRUIT CROP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 November 1943, Page 4

PIP FRUIT CROP

STATEMENT BY FEDERATION LUDICROUS PROMISE BY MR NASH (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, in reply to Mr Nash's statement last evening, says: “Mr Nash’s promise to set up another committee of inquiry into the pip fruit industry is ludicrous. Since the Government came into power the following commissions of inquiry have already sat: 1936, Coleman Commission; 1937, Departmental Commission; 1939, Picot Commission; 1943, Stabilisation Commission. In addition the Government’s own body, the National Fruit Advisory Board, has recently reported on an alarming decline in production throughout New Zealand. Another survey of the industry will only cover the ground already fully explored, and to judge by yesterday’s interview with the Ministers (Messrs Nash, Sullivan and Roberts), they will not take notice of a report. Anyway, the directors of the federation were definitely led to believe that the’ Stabilisation Commission was to inquire into the whole cost of production, and at the request of the Stabilisation Commission the Federation prepared and presented its evidence accordingly. Now the commission reports on increased costs, the only matter which has never been in dispute. When fruit was originally purchased by the Government on the outbreak of war the price offered was at least lOd a case below the cost of production but was accepted as a temporarily expedient. As explained to Mr Nash - repeatedly, to continue to build the price on that temporary foundatoin is futile. The industry has been fooled again and there is a feeling that even the Ministers themselves may have been misled by their own officers. In an interview last night Mr Nash stated: “A committee of inquiry will bb set up to make an economic survey of the pip fruit industry with a view to determining a means of improving the position of that part of the industry below the economic margin. When the evidence was available the Government would make special provision for fruitgrowers whose orchards did not show a reasonable economic return for the labour entailed in production. A bonus of 6d a case will be paid on all fruit which in the opinion of the inspector is of a type and maturity suitable for four- months or longer. The inspection fee of Ad a case at present charged by the Government will be abolished.”