UNKNOWN

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21465, 6 May 1935, Page 20

UNKNOWN

Protests by Growers In N.Z.

RAROTONGA'S ARGUMENTS

, |JJiHM ,I w:UT?r.N FOII THE PUK33.) ,1.5/ I!. K. PALMER.]

XXIII. "': : i-iicitoc-s erow well In Rarotonga, to me i.!'-"!' regret of those who grow them i.'i X 1 "-v Zealand. In the spring . i; ,,\ f.:,r!' summer, when hot-house t, r;i:;ii;c; in New Zealand are bringj!.;; niv.h prices, the Rarotongan toma--1 "..■■:; <.-":!!■'■ :>ii to the market in com- !"•?:•:■.■!! with them, selling at a lower {.•■iiv, :v.'A tl'io New Zealand growers w >■:■■■ An.<: :<> frequently and so bitterly :..vae, till; that Cook Island tomatoes r ..,.,.,,, rnorc , publicity than any of t ;•:<.• •>:.r.cv products of the group. In tiie past 4 the New Zealand ;;: ov.er ha:: not always been accurate hj; ms arguments against allowing island tomatoes into the Dominion, end though there is no chance that there will ever be an embargo, the persistent outcry and the careless •'•a'ement:; made have had an unsettling effect in Rarotonga. The New Zealand grower has several arguments which are repeated ;n every annual agitation. He says fhat iruit iiy may be brought to New Zealand in these tomatoes, and that it would be a menace; he declares that the Cook Islands grower does -lot have to pay rates or taxes and is, indeed, supported by New Zealand Taxation; he sometimes talks of the unfair competition of native labour; he urges that he is being put out of business by the competition, and he appeals to the Government to put an embargo on the island tcmatoes. 1 nese arguments can be answered one bv one. To confuse the Raroton- ' jrsm iruit llv with other and definitely dangerous "iruit flies is unpardonable, | tor experts have explained the cfiffcrer.cj" lime after time. The Entomol ijical i'D viaiamcnt of theCawthron ].'.'.-;! itute has stated that the Raroton■.'an tly will not live in New Zeai.'m.d. and <aher experts have pointed cu" that though the same fly infects i';rmy e:h\r i.-!and L'rirts which have 1 .-' •jrireried in quantity for the ] : .t :;G .V!.:e's, the fly has never .-.'■ rived or at least survived, in this c.ur'ry. 7 here is. in any case, a : ;: :ua.ci in that the tomatoes are ],-;•':>(! i-..,ti. and the fly will not :rV ' fat unless it is ripe. The DfP;• >:;:••:,; if Agriculture has often ;.•■■! d'tha: the fiy is no reason at ;.:i is r !:c: phi" '< ''and fruit out. 7..land Taxation Tee taxation argument is also fal- ].,-.•;■ e Tax.':; are paid by the Cook •r i... ,)..,. h vicr following head-•:>:".-:—Cift ms dut'es. road rates, ?•-.-■]!-• lie.treses, water rates, motor v ■<-. e!" : \ -having licenses, Land Court ji-cs. st.'mp duties, e'c., and on the «..xa".'-t *>: "fruit, shell, and until reeee'iy of copra. Income tax and land *• x are not paid, but in this respect Vo • eat v; erowor is on a footing with r: any New Zealand growers. If inr ria- la\ was levied above the "lew Z'.'and exemption rate, the Cook j'.'a.'s'i tomato-grower would still be i':rre. :e. a; many of the New Zea•end erev.ers are. And the Rarotongrri points :u that though he is never babe- tsi i; xati'n on inccme, he tn.d ) ; s p-je-te ere also never eligible Tor M;ch b'incuts as o'd age pensiun, \vh v,-'i pennon, family allowance, and ami'ar iPnis which offset taxafKli. -j.r;d tax mu-.t depend on the realisable value of land and in the Cook I 'ar.t'.a this does not exist. All the land is family land, and can never be so'd. it. is true that some New 'Zealand money is spent on the Cook Islands, but. the people of this country can never comr.dain about that. When New Zealand annexed the group—not out o.' consideration for the islanders —it promised free education and medical service, and those two things it must pruv.de-. The only eomotaint that a fa ;r-min-'ed New 7calender can make s that there is in ih"S3 two items a skimping of expenditure wh'ch saves tr.y taxpayer very little, yet prevent:; the natives from getting the benefits they should be entitled to. Tail: of native labour is unfair. The I'ownesiar, is no coolie. He is proud of having been the original coloniser o: New Zealand and much of the Pac:.!ie, and he was very proud when S.r Maui Fomare, opposing a petiteei of tomato-growers to Parliament, reel a number of foreign signatures find asked if the peoole of his race were not New Zealanders of longer Standing than theses

High Costs The Cook I;.land grower has handicaps that the New Zcalander is free from- Manures and implements have to be imported from New Zealand, and the difference this makes to the cost is s!a:';jering. Cases are more expensive, and the infrequency of steamer calls means that a big projpo'tion of the crop cannot be shipped. At any r-'.te, towards Christmas, v.i!i.:ii the demand for tomatoes is ri.-irif,', li.-e cheaper Cook Island fruit, which is welcomed by those who cannot afford to pay hothouse prices, is dwindling in supply. In November it ji down to a few thousand cases, and in December its maximum is a few hundred, usually not even that. The money paid for it pays in turn for Now Zealand, exports to the islands, for the Dominion has a practical monopoly of trade fh"re, worth over u Period about £250,000 a year. But leaving all this out of account, Ihe strongest argument remains. The Cook Islands arc a part of New ZcaI'fid. and they tjavc up all claim to Jh:cai autonomy when they were sri.'iexed. New Zealand cannot alter that arrangement now. If people grew lemons ir: Christchurch, they would find competition from the warmer lior'n Auckland and Bay of Plenty << ; :>tricts diseourrrdn.!*. but they would rot ask for an embargo on fruit from There. How can thev expect one on Cook Is'/ind fruit simply because the ground it is f-rewn on is further away?