DUTY FAVOURED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 19

DUTY FAVOURED.

CANNED AND DRY FRUITS.

GROWERS CONCERNED.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Friday.

Concern at the existing position whereby canned and dried fruits from Australia and South Africa conic into New Zealand duty free, was expressed at the annual Dominion conference of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation, in Wellington. It was agreed to ask the Government to impose a duty on Australian canned and dried fruits which are being sold in the Dominion at under cost of production, and the federation will also endeavour to have the importation of dried fruits from South Africa discontinued,, failing which the imposition of a substantial duty is to be urged.

"The position has a very serious effect 011 local production," said Mr. C. Pope, Christchurch, when the matter came forward. Importations of canned and dried fruits from Australia and South Africa had increased very substantially, and to prove his case he produced figures which showed that dried jjjAches imported from Australia increased in value as follows: —1934. £8607; 1935, £13,799; 1930 (first six months), £9950. Dried apricots: 1934, £19,884; 1935, £31,039; 1930 (first six months), £24,578. The corresponding figures of importations from South Africa were:—Dried apricots: 1934, £452-2; 1935, £3019; 1936 (first six months), £12,872.

This position was, contended Mr. Pope, a very serious one. The South African fruit was produced by black labour, and came into New Zealand free under British preferential tariff. Australian fruit also entered tlii« Dominion free. Mr. A. Forsyth said he wondered whether they were not handling the matter in the wrong way. It was, Ik>thought, a pity they should advocate the imposition of extra duty. There was a danger in imposing high tariffs that the benefit would not be passed on to the consumer, and that would have to be guarded against. The conference also agreed to ask the Government to afford 6tone fruit and tomato growers greater protection against imported competitive canned fruit.