BURDEN OF COSTS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20264, 5 August 1937, Page 15

BURDEN OF COSTS

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. OONFERENOE DEOIBIONB. STANDARDISATION SOUGHT. (By Telegrapß.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. “It Is rather difficult to understand V/hy the fruit industry, whioh admittedly Is not In a prosperous condition, Bhould have been picked out to bear higher wages and greater restrictions Df hours than any other primary industry in New Zealand,” said the ihairman of the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board, Mr H. E. Stephens, at the annual conference. Mr Stephens said the export guarantee for the 1937 season had been increased by the Government from 10s tb 10s 6d per case c.i.f. to enable growers to pay higher wages to labour. This action applied only to 30 per cent, of the crop, whioh was exported from New Zealand, although the other 70 per cent, of the crop also had to bear the Increased charges The Government, therefore, announced It would make available £40,000 as a subsidy on locally-sold fruit, provided the increased returns were not sufficient to meet the increased oosts due to higher wages. Doubt About Return. The difficulty In regard to this proviso was that the grower had to meet increased costs week by week, •nd it would be many months before be would know what amount, if any, he was entitled to reoeived from the 240,000. This form of guarantee had not resulted in the employment of ipore labour, as had been hoped. It was unanimously decided: “This conference favours organisation of the marketing of fruit, both export and local, on the basis of & minimum guarantee that will assure the producer a reasonable reward for his labour, control to be in the hands of growers in co-operation with the internal marketing authorities.” It was also decided that the Government be pressed to Introduce standardisation of fruit for the oomlrj? season. When the conference closed the chairman, Mr H. E. Stephens, Intimated that a second conference of the Fruit Export Control Board may be held toward the end of the year, “because we don’t know where we stand until the Government declares its policy.”