IN THE PUBLIC MIND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 106, 7 May 1942, Page 6

IN THE PUBLIC MIND

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

the fruit trade

(To The Editor)

Mr. C. C. King says that the immigration of Indians into New Zealand has increased forty-four fold, and that ■the majority have been established in the retail fruit trade. Since 1919 a ban has been placed on the immigration of Indians and since then a time limit has also been placed on permits that are being issued for return to the Dominion from holiday visits to India, which is a definite step to restrict immigration. He says that the limited supplies of the imported and other fruit are inequitably distributed, Asiatics getting first preference. Asiatics obtain their supplies from the European distributing firms and recently from the Internal Marketing Division. Indians are not to be blamed for it because they have no monopoly in importing or marketing fruit. He further says that manv European shops had to go without "supplies of bananas and oranges. These fruits are being distributed on a ration system based on the amount they bought when ample supplies were available, and also on the amount of local fruit they buy at present, and there is no discrimination in distribution of fruit. Again, he says that the association did not make a recommendation to the Government to take Indians from the fruit trade. As far as I remember, just before the conscription came in Mr Coleman, who was the secretary then, wrote to the Prime Minister recommending that the fruit trade be confined to European women and the aged and to transfer the Asiatics then engaged in the fruit trade to I the productive industry. D. R. PATET.