POTATOES FOR AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25537, 3 July 1948, Page 2

POTATOES FOR AUCKLAND

CARGO BEING LOADED AT TIMARU CONFLICTING ADVICE TO MERCHANTS From Our Own Reporter TIMARU, July 2. While the Waterfront Commission has suggested to shipping companies that they should not accept any. further potatoes for shipment to Auckland until the Mountpark dispute is settled, some Auckland merchants are still instructing their Timaru suppliers to •ship potatoes on the Waiana, now at Timaru, said the president of the Timaru Grain, Seed and Produce Merchants’ Association (Mr C. H. Coxhead) to-day. These orders would naturally go forward, he said. Other Auckland merchants, however, had advised their local agents to cancel orders pending the settlement of the dispute. Auckland * merchants who were cancelling orders no doubt already had shipments lying at Auckland awaiting discharge, said Mr Coxhead, while those who were still seeking delivery were without potatoes altogether. At a recent meeting of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce a manager of a Timaru mercantile firm, Mr A. J. Parris, predicted that unless there were more potatoes shipped, South Canterbury might be left in November with a big surplus. Consequently there would be a serious loss to the grower, or the Government —the latter being committed to take over any surplus potatoes in November of fair average quality. While this might seem to guarantee the grower against any loss, about 25 ger cent. of. the crop from Willowridge, the main potato growing area in South Canterbury, had been attacked by scab disease, which had reduced it to below the required failaverage quality.