CITRUS FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 152, 29 June 1926, Page 4

CITRUS FRUIT INDUSTRY.

THE OFFICIAL ATTITUDE

"REQUIRES AMPLIFICATION."

After the lapse of over a week, the Director of Horticulture, Mr. J. A. Campbell, has replied to the request of Auckland citrus growers for an explanation of his attitude towards the lemongrowing industry. It will be remem bered that, in an interview with the "Star's" representative in Wellington, 'Mr. Campbell gave as his opinion that it was improbable the Department would recommend the Government to raise the duty on Italian lemons. He said the New Zealand climate was not suited to lemon growing, and the Government would have to think twice before it granted protection to an exotic industry, which might never take root and become really healthy.

This announcement came as a bombshell to Auckland citrus fruit growers in view of the present dimensions and the future prospects of lemon growing in this province. Representatives of the citrus growers and of the fruitgrowers met to consider th« matter. They were loth to believe that Mr. Campbell had voiced the opinions attributed to him, and, before condemning these, decided to wire as to his confirmation of the report. The Director of Horticulture was, however, away from Wellington at the time, and no reply was received until a telegram addressed to the secretary of the Citrus Association arrived yesterday.

'In his reply, Mr. Campbell states: — "The article on lemons arose from a conversation not intended for publication. It requires further amplification in order to convey the proper meaning. A statement of the whole position will be made at the conference."

The conference referred to is the annual conference of fruitgrowers, which opens in Wellington to-morrow.