COOK ISLANDS' FRUIT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 236, 5 October 1937, Page 9

COOK ISLANDS' FRUIT.

TOMATO IMPORTATIONS.

LOCAL GROWERS AFFECTED,

Growers of early hothouse tomatoes in Auckland will be considerably affected by the landing of 12,000 caees of Cook Islands tomatoes by the Limerick tomorrow. Of these 0000 caees will be sold on the local market and the other half will go to southern centres.

The arrival of such a large quantity and the need to dispose of it promptly because of its perishable nature are expected to cause a sharp fall in prices. Thie will mean a loss to hothouse growers, who go to great expense to grow early fruit.

The unrestricted import of Cook Islands tomatoes is particularly hard on the local growers this year, as they are now forced to pay the basic wage and work a 44-hour week. The Cook Wands fruit with which their product has to compete is grown by cheap native labour.

"It ift really unjust competition," fit a ted Captain A. A. Currey, president of the Auckland Commercial Gardeners' Society, thte morning. "If the Cook Islands were under the same labour laws us New Zealand we would have no objection, but a-s- it is we think the recommendation of the Marketing Commission that island tomato import should be restricted after the end of September should be followed by the Government. "We have repeatedly requested the Government to bring in compuWory registration of commercial gardeners to allow them to lift the industry from its present chaotic state, but so far we have had a» help or encouragement, ,.