THE WILLOCHRA'S FRUIT.

FEAR OP BOYCOTT. . THE RETAILERS NON-PLUSSED. CHINESE SILENT. Excitement pervaded the fruit, and produce markets in Allen Street at 10 o'clock yesterday morning. This was tho timo . announced for the sale of the American and Island fruit, ex Willochra, which had been handled by tho new Wharf Labourers'' Union. Tlio markets were eroded with Europeans I and Chinese, strikers, polico and detectives, and tho storemen had considerable difficulty in pursuing their work. After tlio usual consignments of vegetables and flowers had been disposed of, the auctioneers, mounted on stacks of the Willochra's fruit, and essayed to sell it, but with small success. An occasional lot was disposed of horo and there, but it was very evident that the usual buyers—especially tho Chinese—wero not operating. The auctioneers, however, ran tho American apples up to 14s. per ease, and knocked them down to imaginary buyers, but thero was really little actual business, and., after an hour's battling, tho sellers desisted. Retailers' Meeting Called* At 11.30 a.m. a meeting of tho retailers was held.in Messrs. Laery and C'o.'s bulk store to endeavour to find a way out of tlio difficulty. It was attended by well over a hundred retailers, including about thirty Chinese. Theso preserved their national stolidity throughout. -Mr. Simpson was voted to tho chair. Ho stated that tho meeting had been called to sco whether they would buy tho fruit .or not. A voice: Let every man pleaso himself! , , Another voice: Tell us-what is tho position? ■ Tho chairman: Sympathy with the strikers and the action of tho carters. My carter informed mo that ho would not cart the fruit, and several other outside carters also said that thoy would not do tlio carting. If wo are to buy it, wo must be ablo to got it away from the market.

Mr. Eliott: You all remembered the butchers' stx-ike at Ngahauranga. Well, tho wharf labourers handled tho meat then and ate it. it was the same with potatoes during the strike at Tiniaru — the watersiders handled the goods.- If they could do that, ,why shouldn't wo handle this fruit? Tlie Threat of Boycott. Mr. P. Walker: Gentlemen, yesterday the representatives of tho strikers came up here and a resolution was passed pretty unanimously in favour of not buying_ tho fruit. What wo want to know is what is to be done, lr men buy tho fruit the pickets havq stated that they will follow it and report into wliat shops it goes, and will advertise a boycott of those shops. My opinion is this: That if a man's principles forbid him to buy he should not buy. • If his principles are tho other way then lei him buy, but in any case lie should not bo intimidated. My principlo is that this fruit is here to be eaten and not to rot. Wo all have our rent to pay. Tho first man to call on 1110 yesterday was the landlord, and how can wo pay tho rent if wo. are forbidden the right to buy tho fruit. I don't believe in intimidation. Yesterday I bought a case of bananas. I did not ask a carter to carry it —I put it on my own shoulders, and was followed from hero to the top of Cuba Street by 20 or 30 men who called out names to me, and when I arrived home I stood at tho door and defied them. If I buy legitimately and sejl legitimately I have a right to do so! (Applause.) '

Curious Proposal. Mr. Edilson: We have no quarrel with the auctioneers. I am sorry for them. But wo have met the watersiders and have been told that this fruit has been handled by free labour. "My opinion'is that we ought not to buy tho fruit," added Mr. Edilson. "I would propose a way out of tho difficulty, and that is that we should buy tho fruit and that the net profits should go to the strikers' distress fund." A voico: The question is whether wo should buy the fruit or not. Another voico: There's 110 motion before the meeting. Mr. Edilson: Then I will move that wo all buy the fruit providing that the net .profits go towards the distress fund. ' ; A voico: Whoso net profits—retailers or wholesalers? ' Mr. Edilson: The wholesalers. Voice: Oh! Oh! and laughter. Mr. Tuppih: Tho resolution is 110 good. It has already been proposed to Mr. Griffiths, who turned it down I Another man stated that Mr. Griffiths had submitted tho proposal to tho 1 other merchants, and they had turned it down. • A voice: What about the motiou ? The chairman: It has no seconder! Mr. Edilson: If it has 110 seconder 1 couldn't we get the auctioneers to con- : sider it again? j The Only Way. ] Mr. E. Jones: I move as an amend- • ment that wo buy tho fruit. If it is allowed' to go to waste it is_ not an asset, but if we buy and sell it it becomes an asset, as it' circulates the money. By buying it and selling it 1 wo would be in a better position to help ! tho strikers .and their families. • Why, j they're coming round every day now , with their bags 011 thoir backs asking 1 for anything, wo can spare. Ho movdd 1 that it bo left absolutely open for any- 1 one to buy the fruit and get it to his shop as best he could. This was seconded by Mr. Burgo. Chinese Attitude. j 011 being invited to do so, Mr. Joe j Get addressed tho Chinese present in . their own language, .with a view to ex- ] plaining what was before the meeting. , He subsequently informed the meeting • that the Chines© would follow tho j majority. "If Europeans don't want to . buy, Ciiinamen won't buy," ho ex- ( plained. 1 Mr. Stevens remarked that it tlie < fruit had been consigned in good faith, ( anyone with •humanitarian fcellI '£ , should consider the shippers. If the j cases belonged to tho auctioneers, then 'it became a local question : if consigned, i it was another matter. Both sides ol the question should be discussed. j Nelson Growers. ; Mr. Edilsoii: "I am sorry for tho , Nelson strawberry growers. In Nelson ] small land-holdors aro paying 5 per < cent, (presumably mortgago interest), and at this unhappy moment stand to loso iill they have got. This," con- , tinued Mr. Edilson, "is a national al- ( fair, and wo must study the watersiders. , Wo don't know what is going 011 in this j markot. Tho other day there were tole- j grams flying round, and we bought potatoes at 9s. and 10s. a cwt. —and ' soon afterwards thoy wont doißi to ss. Wo wcro the fools!" Mr. Stevens in explanation said that tho easo of the Nelson growers was not ' parallel to that of fruitgrowers in other parts of tho world. Thoy wero local, ( and had wanted to ship after tho striko > had started. If it was a national affair 1 let them keep it a national affair. A voico: The bananas wero shipped : after the strike. Mr. Stevens: The Sydney shippers did not send any fruit. 1 Mr. Edilson: No, the Union Company 1 would not take it. t/ ■ 1 The chairman: My opinion is tTiat we : should novel' study the merchant, Did i .uoti quo at rejayt to thsjj

pilpers that cababgcs wore soiling at 6d. a sack. Why, they could not sell thorn —thoy were so rotten. Is that studying you? I've ijcen told that if I buy this fruit I will lie boycotted. J, have bought 30 cases of fruit—bought them on order three mouths ago. It is over at tho 'Tanners'." It's no good to mo there; and if I do take it away under escort, and my shop is broken up, do I. get anything for it? Mr. Tuppin: The only thing to be decided is, whether wo will' buy the fruit or not. ;j Threats of Violence. Mr. Elliott: That's all very well, but. J.'vo received threats that they will break my windows if I buy— it- only needs one brick. Mr. Edilson: That's all rot about breaking windows. Mr. uoncs repeated his story a.bout being chivvied and insulted' whilst carrying away a easo of bananas.

Mr. Joe Got. said that- tho Chinese bad been warned by the strikers that- if they bought bananas, apples, or pineapples thoy (tho strikers) were going to break the windows and raid tho shops. It was all right not to buy bow, bub what if the strike lasted .two, three, six months? . No ono attempted to answer tlio question. "If it is a fact," said one speaker, "that people havo been intimidated by threats of smashing windows, it is up to us to buy tho stuff." Babel of voices:— "Let every man please- himself 1" "I won't buy!" "Put the resolution!" "What resolution I" "Order! Order!" "I propose no vote be taken." Finally, Mr. Joues wiped tho slato clean by proposing—"That this meeting is in favour of buying the fruit." A voice: Will they abide by it if it is passed? , Mr. P. Walker said that it would Lo. best to first pass a resolution to decide whether all would abido by a subsequent resolution (as to buying or not) it it wore carried. A resolution to that effect was carried on a show of hands, thero being no dissentients.

The chairman said: "Shall wo buy tho fruit or not? Hands up to buy! Against!" The tally proved little, 'as many had drifted away. About ft dozen hands were raised in. favour rf buying, and about twenty against. The Chinese voted neither way.

QUIET AFTERNOON.

FRUIT FOR THE COUNTRY.

AH was quiet in the fruit markets ves-ti-rclay afternoon. After the turmoil of tho morning tho place bore quite a deserted aspect. No sales were being conducted, and there wore no prospective buyers within tho precineis. { "One thing tho resolution passed at tho meeting did," said one merchant, "was to clear away the strike pickets and the crowd, so that ivo could get oti with our work. , We have already shipped away two lorry loads of fruit- to tne country," and do not expect to have very much left by to-morrow night. Tho country shops have been very faaro of fruit for a fortnight past, and tho storekeeper is_ hungry for it. He will probably get it all, if the local buyers continuo to hang off."