THE FRUIT EMBARGO

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21904, 3 October 1936, Page 20

THE FRUIT EMBARGO

TO THE BJJITOB Of THB P 8853-Sir-How much longer will the people of New Zealand suffer from the high Orange prices resulting from the embargo against the importation of Australian citrus fruit? The Labour Government is pledged to serve the Interests of the public, and the best it can do is to relax the' embargo to exactly the same extent as, the former Government allowed last year. What is the result? The prices.kept up, and instead of this health-giving fruit going into every home, it has become a luxury. There is no more flagcant example pf "scarcity m the midst if plenty.” Mr Nash has explained that “the prosperity ,of the Cook Islands people depends to a considerable extent on the export’of oranges to New Zealand.” . So that is why we have to pay these high prices, to support a population of 12.000 to whom we already export £54,261 worth of goods an take £77,018 in return! ■Or is it to preserve the Government s_ ridiculous “bargaining power’ over the Australian embargo .on our potatoes, in either case the people are suffering as a result of bungling political methods, and it is time they agitated ior an improvement-of th situation.Yours, etc., 1 • * . UNDECEIVED. Auckland, September 30, 1936.