FROZEN PRODUCE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19317, 23 May 1928, Page 10

FROZEN PRODUCE.

ARRIVAL OF EARLY APPLE SHIPMENTS. RESULTS OF MEAT WAR. (FROM OUE SPECIAL COERESI'OKDEN'T.) LONDON, April 10.. The first of the new season's shipments of apples and pears from New Zealand and Australia have arrived, and a large amount of the fruit was available for consumption during the Eastertide holidays. The opening of the season was signalised by a pleasant ceremony at New Zealand House on the 26th ult. In the presence of a Jarge number of New Zealanders and other interested persons, Mr Ameiv, Secretary of State for the Dominions, formally declared the season open by sampling one of the apple 9 and —after a few bites —declaring it to be very good. In welcoming the Minister, Sir James Parr, the High Commissioner, mentioned that the British Empire supplies Great Britain with 40 per cent, of the fruit she imports. "There is, therefore," he added,-"con-siderable leeway to make up before the Empire can be considered as a selfcontained unit. I am glad to say that so far the New Zealand fruit season promises to bo a record one. Space has already been booked for 1,000,000 cases, as against 449,000 cases last year, so that the export of fruit has more than doubled within a year." A Minister's Praise of Apples. In the course of a breezy speech, Mr Amery said: "The fact that New Zealand has more than doubled her export of fruit is typical of the efficiency and enthusiasm displayed by the Government and the people of New Zealand in the develoi>ment of what is practically a new export industry. The wool, lamb, cheese, and butter industries have made astonishing progress in the last few years, and it may not be long before the tobacco industry joins them. If we appeal to buy Empire produce we can assure you at the same time that we can give you the hest quality. One New Zcalander buys thirty times as much from Britain as one citizen of the United States. When you buy ,Xew Zealand apples you have the satisfaction of knowing that at least thirty times more of it comes to this country in some way or other than if you bought apples from the United States. These New Zealand apples are attrac-tive-looking, sweet-smelling, _ pleasant objects, in themselves. Behind them we see the cheerful orchards, the schools with their bright-looking, applecheeked children. Cast your mind back to the boys who came from these schools a few years ago to fight the common cause of Empire. If you buy New Zealand apples you are making it easier to "allow a settler to go out to New Zealand and give his children a chance in the healthy surroundings of the Dominion."

Tight for a Meat Monopoly. Captain R. T. Hinckes, of Mansel Court, Hereford, the well-known breeder of Hereford pedigree cattle, has made public his views on the meat situation of the world. He says that' as the recent meat war in South America has been for. a monopoly,; it is ..curious- that those public men of -all shades of political thought, who are as a rule rightly jealous of any attempt to, dreat a monopoly in the necessaries of life, have on this occasion, allowed the process to go on before their'very eyes without protest. • The Captain continues: "But how, we may ask, has it been .possible to carry on the 'war' for. two and a half years? How is • j that, whereas .sOme of the groups have .fully maintained.their dividends, others have been involved in enormous losses, which have been estimated at tens of millions sterling?. Further, if some of the groups have been able to maintain their dividends, why have theybeen willing .to call a truce, and what guarantee is there that 'war' may not break out' at any moment? Hlas. the consumer benefited by the 'war,' and, if not, who has benefited? The producer fully realises that his interests have to give, way to cheap food for the masses, but is his livelihood to be sacrificed because the big men are fighting amongst themselves? Once again, if the consumer has not benefited, why •have the elected guardians of our liberties been dumb P It has been well said that 'the price of liberty is eternal vigiMnce.' Have they' all been asleep ?" Effects on Dominions. Captain Hinckes points out that the imports of beef from Australia and New Zealand in the nine months ended September- 30th last showed a decrease of over 40,000 tons, compared with the same period of 1926, and that in the same period the c.i.f. value of the imports went dtown over £1,500,000.' He adds: "The Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand, together with other Dominions, are our best customers, and give us a preference on our manufactured goods. What have our manufacturers got to say about- this- fight for a monopoly which has diminished the purchasing power of their customers by nearly a million and a half sterling? Are our shipping lines to Australia to acquiesce without protest in the loss of freight involved by this charge?" Captain Hinckes goes on to advocate the reorganisation of the home.meat industry on the basis of better grading and marketing, as a defence against foreign monopolist tendencies. Imperial Fruit Show. In a report on the Imperial Fruit Show, held last year in Manchester, Sir W. G. Lobjoit says: "The Manchester Exhibition was undoubtedly, from every point of view, the most successful of the series commenced in IS2I. We were able to obtain better accommodation than was the case in 1923, and the displays of fruit in the two halls were a credit to the growers, the retailers, the, salesmen, brokers, and Government Departments concerned. Whereas the entries in the home-grown sections were well up-to the average, there were large increases in the overseas canned fruit and the British Empire sections, in spite of the fact as regards, the latter that, the two classes for apples included in 1926 were withdrawn this year. The withdrawal of these two classes was more than counterbalanced by the increase of entries. of oranges from South Africa."

TARANAKI OILFIELDS. (PBESS ASSOCIATION TILEG BAM.) GISBORNE, May 22. Taranaki Oilfields report: Gisborne No 1 well.—Down to 2870 ft :n very soft shale;- 6Jin casing to 2860 ft. • Gisborne No. i well.—Down to 545 ft ir. shale, then s»nd and shale and for the last 30ft hard sand, a total of 600 ft. In 12J,in casing down to 360 ft. EGG AUCTION. ' - i Harris Bros., Ltd., report that the usual weekly auction sale of "Feather Brand guaranteed fresh eggs was held yesterday afternoon. The following prices were realised: Hen eggs, first grade (2oi or over) 2s Gd; hen eggs, second grade (under 2oz), 2s 3d. . , —"