FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2601, 14 March 1889, Page 2

FRUIT INDUSTRY.

TO TUB EDITOU. Sir,—ln your late issues I have noticed several references to fruit-drying, and as during my stay in the United States I worked for some time in an evaporating factory I think that a few lines from me would not be nut of place at this season. I only wish in this letter to draw attention to one side of the question, and that the most important one—the financial side. In the United States of America evaporated apples are sold at from 2d to 3d a lb. wholesale. Here the satna article is sold by importers from (3d to 8d per lb. From this it will be seen that there is an average of about 4.W a lb. in favour of the importers. From "this take Id a lb. for freight and charges, and the same for Customs duty, bringing the profit down to per lb. That is to say that the importer could afford without loss to sell at about 2d a lb. less than he does at present. Directly the colonial article appears on the market it will encounter the ijetermined hostility of the importers, whose policy always has been and, from the nature of their business, always will be, to destroy native industries in favour of those of other countries. Protection is a feeling unknown to the importer's soul. Experience teaches us that ho is ever willing to sell his country for a mess of inferior pottage. It is his interest to do it, and I would not blame him for it any more than I would blame the hog for wallowing in the mire. In both cases it is the nature of tho beast. When by pushing our home made article, we have created a larg-; demand for it, the price will bo dropped by tho importers in order to run the rash man'who shall show himself foolish enough to start a now industry in this country. The only way out of the difficulty is to increase the Customs duty by 2d a pound, and thereby ir.alce it too unprofitable to oppose this small industry. The importation of this article is at present so small that tho imposition of a practically prohibitive duty would have no effect on the revenue, and except as a sacrifice of principle, which can be, but a small consideration to our present Government, of no importance. Putting on one side the debatable question of Free-trade v. Protection, it is quite certain that our colony cannot attempt, with it's young unmatured and scattered orchards and unorganised factories, to compete with American orohardists on anything like even terms. I do not ask an increase in the Customs duty in order to raise the price, for at present it is as high as the article can bear, and any higher price would be a bar rather than an assistance to this industry as tending to limit the consumption as we only ask it as a protection against tho hostility and rapacity of our souless importers. _ We cannot attempt the manufacture of this_article at a lower figure than at present ruling, as at this figure the manufacturer could not afford to give more that Jd per lb. for fruit, and in the present undeveloped state of our orchards, growers could hardly accept a lower price for even their secondrate apples. In the tho Unitod States of America, the price given is from 10 to 15 cents per bushel, from which will_ bo seen the impossibility of competing with them at present without considerable assistance from the customs. Ido not hesitate to say that any man who attempts this industry on a scale largo enough to be of any assistance to the orcbardist will, without this protection, find himself "left." This is the first step to be taken in establishing an industry which will, oven at the low figure it offers, bo of immenso assistance) to the up-country grower in disposing of his poorer fruit. Hoping that this letter will lead to something being done in this matter, I am, yours faithfully, Cpias. Barwell.