BANANAS TO BURN.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 76, 29 March 1920, Page 4

BANANAS TO BURN.

A DISAPPOINTING SHIPMENT. FRUIT AP.RIYES IN BAD ORDEH. One of the large sheds on the King's wharf could hardly be described as a bower, either for nose or for eyes, this morning, as one of the "Star" men watched some twenty thousand cases of bananas being loaded into it from the Island steamer Navua. The fruit was in a shocking condition, the greater part of it being black, while the liquid from the decomposed fruit made the shed unpleasant to enter. Of the fruit shipped in the three hatches, that in Nos. 1 and 2 is far from good, but that in Xo. 3 is hopeless, and the consignees estimate that, out of the total shipment of 20,000 cases, perhaps a quarter may be saleable. The importer of the greatest amount of this fruit estimates his loss to be in the neighbourhood of £1200, while the other importers suffer proportionately. "And then, when a good shipment of bananas comes to hand,' , he remarked, "and we attempt to recoup ourselves for the loss on such a shipment, the public rises up and yells 'profiteer.'" The Navua left Fiji on Saturday week, with this shipment signed for as being in good order. The vessel arrived here late on Thursday afternoon, yet her discharge has not yet been completed. The general opinion of the fruit importers seems to b<; that the Navua has not adequate ventilation in the holds. The Ijevuka, which runs from Melbourne to Fiji, to cope with the Australian fruit demand, has a properly insulated hold, especially designed for carrying fruit. ''What we need here," said one large importer this morning, "is two boats of this class, smaller in size, but with a good speed, and capable of carrying 10,000 to 12,000 cases of bananas; this vessel could make a fortnightly run, instead of the present cumbrous system of a large shipment every mouth or so.' . The bad quality of this shipment, which was designed to cope with the Kaster demand for fruit, is a severe blow to the importers, who state tha» the supply will not last for more than a week*