FRUIT CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1930, Page 12

FRUIT CONTROL.

IMPROVEMENTS WANTED.

ENTERPRISE IN MARKETING. GROWERS REQUEST INQUIRY. (By Telegrarb.—Press Association.) NELSON, this day. During his tour of the country districts of Nelson the Hon. G. W. Forbes met a deputation of fruitgrowers, who discussed fruit control matters. Mr. McKee recalled the "catastrophe" in the handling of fruit in .Wellington last year, when fruit was held' for so long that it arrived in England in bad condition. He considered Nelson growers suffered a loss of £50,000 last year as a result of the control at Wellington. Another fault growers had to find with the Control Board concerned the opening of- new markets. Growers considered the Canadian market was only being toyed with. It was considered by Nelson growers that 250,000 cases could be sent to the Continent each season. He considered a Royal Commission should Ibe set up to go fully into the affairs of the fruit industry. In reply Mr. Forbes said the inquiry now being conducted by the Industries and Commerce Department was mainly into the marketing of tropical fruit.. It was doubtful if the same body would be able to investigate matters in connection with export fruit, which was a much larger question. He would be pleased to go into the matter of an inquiry. The Government wished to establish the industry on a sound basis. The control system was brought in by the growers, and by now they should know how it worked. Mr. Forbes said he judged by the remarks of the speakers that the growers were decidedly of the opinion that the advantage they expected from handling of their fruit by the Control Board had not been realised. He asked if it would be desirable to revert to the old position, when each grower handled his own fruit. He asked if growers wished to "scrap" the Control Board. The growers assembled made it quite clear they did not, wish to do away with the Control Board. . Mr. McKee said they wished to construct, not destroy. At the present time Nelson had no one to speak for it on the Control Board. He assured the Minister that all the growers wanted a strong controlling organisation, but they wanted the present one improved.