HIGHER DUTY ASKED

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 65, 10 December 1930, Page 10

HIGHER DUTY ASKED

Imported Cherries in N.Z. DEMAND BY GROWERS New Zealand cherry growers are unanimous in their desire for a higher duty on Australian cherries, particularly at a time like the present when the Do-minion-grown cherries are being placed on the market, The local grower claims that the influx of Australian cherries has brought the price so low as- to make cherry growing in New Zealand unprofitable. “The Government claims that it is out to encourage the small holder,” one grower said yesterday, “but when it gets him on the land it does everything possible to discourage him. It costs less in freight charges to send cherries from Sydney to Auckland than it does to rail tllem from Greytown to Auckland.” The present duty on Australian cherries is twopence per pound, and some growers have suggested that a duty of sixpence per nound would not be unreasonable. Other growers would go further and prohibit the importation of the Australian cherry altogether when those grown locally are being placed on the market. During the week-end the question was discussed by the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association, and it was decided to protest to the Government against Australian cherries lieing allowed into the Dominion unless they carried a substantial duty. WAIRARAPA PROTEST Dominion Special Service. Masterton, December 9. The following telegram has been dispatched to the Minister of Customs by Colonel T. W. McDonald, M.P. for Wairarapa:— “Country being flooded with Australian cherries to the serious disadvantage of local growers. x It seems extraordinary that so small a duty as twopence per pound is placed on imported cherries, which are a luxury. The industry is a young one, and employs a large number of men. The lack of higher duty, or prohibition for a short period, seriously accentuates the unemployment difficulty all of which seriously affects the small man, while the prohibitive duty on wheat and flour, which makes the people’s bread, penalises all bread consumers ana plays into the hands of the big trusts and combines, and creates proportionately less employment than growing small fruits. The position is very serious indeed, and calls for the prompt remedial action by the Government.’’