THOSE EMBARGOES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 19

THOSE EMBARGOES.

FRUIT AND POTATOES.

TASMAN TRADE HINDRANCE.

A FORWARD MOVE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, February 18. During the coming week Wyong, which, as New Zealanders may not be aware, is an important centre of the "central eoast" district of New South Wales, is holding its jubilee celebrations. In accordance with the custom now established here, the people of the district have arranged a "Back to Wyong" week, and the celebrations will be attended not only by all the early inhabitants and the present residents available, but by many public men invited for the purpose of making speeches and drawing attention to the importance of the district and its natural resources. Next Wednesday the Prime Minister is to visit Wyong to oj>eii the celebrations officially and the fruit growers of the district—it is one of the great centres of citrus cultivation in Australia—have taken advantage of the opportunity to press upon his attention a subject which is always very near to their hearts. Last Monday, as a preliminary to the jubilee, the Fruitgrowers' Federation convened a conference of central coast district growers and they were addressed by their president, Mr. J. Heane. As the Wyong district is— according to the State Minister of Agriculture-—responsible for 50 per cent of the citrus production of Australia, the views of this federation a great deal of weight in fruit-growing circles here, and what Mr. Heane had to say should interest New Zealanders as well. Australian Fruit Wanted. Mr. Heane has lately visited New Zealn nd and during his trip h# found that the fruitgrowers of tie Dominion are

quite agreeable to the lifting of the existing embargo on Australian oranges.' Mr. Heaoe told the conference that though' New Zealand can produce citrus fruit of fair quality it is not comparable with the Australian product, except in the case of the "poorman" orange, which, as a substitute for grape fruit, is of better class than anything that New South Wales can supply. The embargo is, therefore, not maintained to keep out Australian competition. As to the argument that the embargo is, from the Dominion standpoint, necessary to keep out the fruit fly, Mr. Heane, thotigh he admitted that this pest is more or less prevalent in the "central coastal" district, denied that there is any serious danger of infection. Half ft century ago, long before the embargo was thought of, the central coast 'district sent large quantities of oranges to New Zealand and so far the fruit fly has never been able to establish itself there. While in New Zealand Mr. Heane learned ako that "some of the island supplies to New Zealand are also infected with fruit fly." He concludes —as many people have concluded before him—that the New Zealand embargo on Australian oranges is merely retaliation for the Australian embargo on New Zealand potatoes, and he indicated that it was from the Australian rather than the New Zealand end that the question must be approached. Lengthy Resolution. The principal outcome of the conference —and the result that most directly concerns the Dominion—was the following resolution, carried unanimously by the meeting:—"That this conference of fruitgrowers, representative of all parts of the central coast district of New South Wales, views with apprehension the serious effect the loss of an export market is having upon the citrus growers of New South Wales; and as New Zealand constitutes the logical market of New South Wales citrus exports, this conference requests that the Federal Government take immediate and decided stejis towards a permanent agreement with New Zealand for at least a fair proportion of New Zealand citrus requirements; furthermore, as an earnest of the Federal Government's expressed opposition to all forms of trade embargoes, New Zealand be offered a ahare by quota of the Australian market for

potatoes and apples in return for a like quota of New South Wales citrus, subject to rigorous inspection and examination by both countries of their respective imports and exports." This resolution is to be submitted to Mr. Lyons on hie visit to Wyong next week and New Zealanders should await with interest the result of this renewed attempt to sweep awav the restrictions that have so long obstructed trade between the Commonwealth and the Dominion.