DESPERATE PLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 111, 3 February 1934, Page 16

DESPERATE PLIGHT

Tasman Fruitgrowers APPEAL TO GOVERNMENT The Tasman Fruitgrowers Limited has addressed the following appeal to the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan :— “At a meeting of our association held on Tuesday to discuss the desperate plight in which its members find themselves on the eve of picking and packing operations, it was unanimously decided to bfing before the Government the absolute necessity of an immediate declaration in respect of the fruit export guarantee for this season. “Owing to the delay by the Government in making an announcement as to its intentions in regard to the export guarantee for 1934, and the refusal of the banks to grant necessary financial accommodation until an announcement is made, the association is faced with the position of being unable to get delivery of packing material urgently required ; while individual members, being totally without funds, are unable to employ the fruit-pickers necessary to harvest their fruit. The last-men-tioned fact is ail the more serious, in that, of the principal varieties, it is' the most valuable of all (Cox’s Orange)), which first requires to be picked. The inability, through lack of funds to employ tlie necessary pickers, to harvest the whole of this variety before it is too mature for export purposes, would be a major disaster for many growers. Furthermore. many workers who have been looking forward to work as pickers and shed hands will find themselves lacking the expected jobs and will bo compelled ro seek unemployment relief. . “M'e cannot but view with the greatest alarm the present position, and in view of the fact that the Government is able to provide moneys for such uneconomic purposes as increased military votes and expenses of commissions whose reports are seldom given effect to, we fail to see any reason for the Government’s dilatory attitude in the matter of this year's fruit export guarantee, a matter which we are confident most ’ people would agree is one of great economic importance and cy“IVe therefore call upon the Government to come to any early decision in this matter, as otherwise we foresee disastrous consequences to a large number of growers.”