COOK ISLANDS FRUITGROWERS

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 208, 2 September 1919, Page 8

COOK ISLANDS FRUITGROWERS

(To tho Editor.) Sir, —We, tlie undersigned, are the central committee of the Rarotoiigu Fruitgrowers' Association. The Association has (577 members and includes nearly all the native fruitgrowers in this island of Rarotonga. We wish to clearly state the reason why we applied to the Administration to help us. At the beginning of the present fruit season the fruit traders fixed the price we were to get for our fruit at 2/6 a case. Our Association refused to sell at this price and said we wanted 5/ per case. But the traders were determined, and 60 were we. We then said if the traders would not pay the price we asked we would send our fruit to New Zealand to be 60ld for us there. The traders then told us that we could not do that as they would not let us have any cases, nor would they let us have any space on the steamers, as they had all that. We then held a meeting and sent a deputation of our members to interview the Commissioner, telling him of all these matters nnd asking for the assistance of the Administration to get us cases and space. He said he would inquire to see if what we stated was true. Later on lie informed us that the Administration would assist us. The Administration got us cases, for which we pay, and also secured space for us on the steamers, but that space was very small compared with what we wanted. Our first consignment gave us 10/ a case profit, other shipments have done nearly as well. Some even better. If the fruit traders had given us our price at the beginning— that is, 5/ a case—they would have made a very good bargain and there would have been no dispute. On the other hand, if it had not been for the help we got from the Administration we would have been forced to take the fruit traders' price of 2/0 per case. Last year the prices were fixed by the fruit traders—they went as low as 1/ to 1/0 per case. The average price was about 2/0 on the wharf. These prices dis-1 heartened us and we neglected our planting. So now we are greatly pleased with our new arrangements. We are, very sorry that complaint was made to the Governor-General that the Commissioner had stirred up strife between our people and the fruit traders. This is' quite untrue. Our dispute with the fruit traders all took place before we went to the Commissioner, and he tried to settle it but failed, for when he asked the traders to supply us with cases they still refused. It is also wrong to say that there is any bad feeling between the two races, for there is none. We know how to get a fair return for our fruit. So we are planting our lands and getting ready for the next season, when we are told there will be space on the steamers for all the fruit we can grow. There is also this fact that annoyed us. The traders here raised the prices of all their goods, but offered Ug a very low price : for our fruit. Is this fair?—We are, etc., TINO.AHNA D. ISALA RUA VAIKATAU TURUA \ TAUA STRICKLAND TEREPAI 10PU TUMU MOETAUA G. TAMARUA TUAUA PEE ■■~;■;- ROOPUROA " "' . _j"