CHEAP GRAPES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 96, 16 January 1908, Page 8

CHEAP GRAPES.

j--—: fcIMPORTATION RESTRICTIONS NOT YET REMOVED.; . SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SHIPMENTS. '.' WAITING TO COME IN. ."Australian grapes, 6d. a pound 1" is a placard- is not yet displayed in shop windows in New Zealand, but. which should ;bo before long. Last session, as a preliminary to- tho admission of 1 grapes from South Australia, Parliament fixed tho'import duty'"ld: ! per pound.,' 'As t-hp "season has nojv arriydd-^tjie,grape, sbaisp.ll' in 'South Australia'.is-,-.three tweeks: before, its'% usual timo this yeaiv-tho. people of Now Zealand have roasori\tp, question when they are to pbtairi'the .benefit !of the concession! Yesterday inquiries: were made; and the only Departmental ' information', available was th'it as sopn. the prohibition is, removed the grapes -will',,bo>;.abio to; come, iijfo • the .cpuntrjv -Previous to this no grapes hqyc .been imported.': irtto - Nojv .Zealand at' all. Foar of phylloxera has absolutely prohibited them, and " thus= many people - have. been denied the'luscious- and''beneficial fruit 011 account;';of 'the high prices charged for tlie Now-Zealand Article. The 'removal of the prohibition .haa been, tinder consideration,' but' the' regulations - governing the - importation''of,, the ,graphs have not yet been completed. '.ItvTVRS 'not known-, yesterday -.when these regulations would finally receive the sanction of the Minister for Agriculture, but tho Department has the matter in' hand. -' • ■The point ; is''thafc'unless something is done SMedily .tKe r seils6n' will; have: passed before the restriction jk. removed..'' The grape season in'So'ifth; Australia lasts two . months at the outside; apd this year, as stated, it has commenced-earlier' l than usual. •;„ Possibilities of the Markets. ! ..Messrs."''Liierjjfand ' Co., of hiiv.e , been'; 'appointed agents '.in.. Wellington' for ; tho combined' growors in South Austraha'... 'to,..ascertain tlie : .possibilities of .the markpts.Jn New Zealand, and so far,' said Mr.'iW.Vßrown,-a principal <jf'tho firm, yostorday, indications are that -the quantity required''is likely to be very; large.. He stated' thatthe growers were prepared to 'export-. cxtoil'sively' to this'country as soon 4sr• We-ircifefijilqgsiare'' removed,'arid that they expect 'toitra'risact a' profitable business over hero.,'" ' i. . ■ It, wasv-alsp; ,;reported' yosterday .that -a large .quantity; .pf. grapes was. awaiting consignment; i»t-' ? Sydney. 'on Saturday. last) but the. .shipping."authorities 'there', would'.-not accept itte.i'carriago.-, until tho removal of, the prohibitio'ii'V'was gazetted. ■ South';" Australia, it might Ibe mentioned, will probably be\ the only country from which tho grapes will- be admitted on account, of its ,freedom from phylloxera.; It was griipes from this State that wore introduced-' bjf special concession and sold at the International-Exhibition.: Mr. H. ; J. , Scott, .Comniissiorier :to the - Exhibition for, the' State, -submitted; sorae'coinpiltntions, at that tiino -as r to : '.tHp : . price 'at which 1 the - grapes should be sold',.here.,. At Adelaido, he- said, oxcellent grapes', were sold oh the streets for ld.-'Vper- lb;; ■■so < that-' if, a - bettor, grade wore picked'thero'would only be -the cost-of' pact [ irig per lb; for freight,which, would land th.o'grapes in Nqw Zealand at'not more than 4d. .por Ib.V;Add- a fair ; percentage of 'profit for: the /retailers,'*, and the-grapes could [be sold 'in ■. the';' : slipps' ,'of New Zealand at 6d. 'per. what. was paid' for' Adelaide grapes in London. New Zealanders aro now waiting with' their' sixpences: for -those grapes I .Mr. Scott also stated at the, time tliat the Hon. R: M'Nab _ (Minister for Agriculture); had that if 'a guarantee could, be given that-the State was free.from phylloxera the restrictions would be lifted. Signer ,Bfagato's Report. ' Regarding the prico' at which New Zealand .grapes are sold,', and the possible effects on •tho industry or- ontsido '.competition,' it is interesting, to turn to the report" last year of Siejnor-'. Bragato, Government * Viticulturist. "Personally lam fully ; ho, wrote, "that , with the,, prices ruling,' last , year no outside country, can possibly land grapes here to .competo with tho local crop at tne prico.. ,Tho shipments from South Australia showed that, even' when \admitted, duty free, they cannot : bo sold hero at, less than Gd. por lb.; .and in my opinion.it will not be long before *.thore will be plenty of grapes for'.the people: at half .that.cost; ! ' To speak of : im{wrtmg, grapes from Australia seems to mo as.ab*' surd as toj Suggest importing butter and eggs, because ; theso commodities aro sometimes, dear.. . . . There .arc now isome 1500 of'our own settlers growing'grapes, and a large -number aro newly embarking on the industry'each year." Sighor/Bragato admits that tho : prices have been high m tho pact, but lie . argues.-that the profits havo hot gone to the growers, but' to the middlemen. From ' Ills remarks it would • seem ' that New ZealaVd smay : be .'able' to hold '.'her/-'owii :.with tho foreign and in that case tho industry-will riot, suffer'.. t