CONFERENCE OF GROWERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 65, 14 September 1906, Page 5

CONFERENCE OF GROWERS.

o THE RECIPROCITY TREATY. DANGEROUS PESTS. A conference of delegates representing the fruit-growers of the colony opened at Wellington this morning. The following wero present: — Mr. Alison, M.H.R. (Northcote and Birkenhoad Fruitgrowers' Association and the Albany Association), Mr. Philipson (Auckland), Mr. Sisson (Canterbury), Mr. Bennetts (Otego, Teviot district), Messrs. Fitzroy and Gould (Hawkes Bay), Mr. Lowe (Nelson). Mr. Fitzroy presided, and Mr. Gould acted as secretary. Mr. T. W. Kirk, Government Biologist, w«s present by invitation. The chairman, in opening tho conference, said the Hawkes Bay Association had had brought under its notice tyro very destructive blights — tho Californian pear blight and tho Queensland fruit fly — which would be- a very grave danger to the industry unless immediate steps were taken. The conference would also be asked to discuss the reciprocity treaty with regard to fruit and wine. The reciprocity question was first discussed. Mr. Sisson urged that the growers would be greatly affected by the proposals regarding apples and pears, and ho thought that instead of lessening the duty it should be increased. Mr. Bennetts said it would not be wor,th while growing fruit in New Zealand if it could come in free from Australia, where the industry was old established, and where the climato was admirably adapted for the purpose. Our early fruits Tieje were competed against by Australian importations of its surplus stock, and- the prices obtained for New Zealand early fruits scarcely paid. All through the season, in fact, one part of Australia or another could sand fruit here to compete with our product. Thousands of trees bad recently been planted in .the Toviofc district, but if the duty was taken off it would be disastrous to the industry. A duty was absolutely necessary, both on fresh fruit and canned fruit. < Mr. Philipson said the question had als6 to be considered in connection with the settlement of the land. Largo areas of land in the north of Auckland were only suitable for fruit-growing, but if the duty was taken off it would not pay to take up the land for that purpose. Mr. Sisson agresd wilt this, remarking that a number of small areas were being taken up in Canterbury for fruitgrowing, but that would not go on if the duty was removed. The following resolution- was submitted by Mr. Alison: — "That in the opinion of this conference the provisions in the reciprocal agreement between Australia and New Zealand, by which a decreased duty is proposed to bo placed upon fruit imported into New Zealand from Australia during the months of January and February, will be disastrous to the fruit-growing industry throughout the colony, and this conference vigorously protests against the proposal." Mr. Lowo said in Motueka there were a number at small grower.?, and during the last season his company shipped 54,900 cases. If the duty was reduced disaster would follow. ' Planting this yearhad been more extensive than any previous year, in the belief that the Government was endeavouring to foster the fruit industry. Mr. Alison said the associations he was representing desired him to protest in the most emphatic terms against the* proposal. The resolution was carried unanimously. In regard to tho wine industry,' the chairman said the Hawkes Bay winegrowers felt that, the industry would be greatly crippled if the proposed treaty was ratified. Mr. SissoH moved that the penny duty be extended so as to start on Ist December and end on 30th September _ Mr. Bennetts did not see why Australian fruit should come in free during any part of the year, as New Zealand would soon.be in a position to supply the whole of the market. Mr. Lowe doubtea if New Zealand could supply the colony all the year round. He would rather hold what wo have got for the present than ask for too much. | /After discussion it was decided to ask that the penny duty period eh'ould be extended so as to begin on 14th December and end oh 14th August. Turning to the wipe duty, the chairman moved that the Government ho requested not to agree to any reduction of the duty .as proposed. Mr. Gould For years, he eaid, the Government had been encouraging the fruit-growers of Hawkes Bay to grow grapes for wine-making, and now it was proposed in one act to crush the industry so created. Even at present it was very difficult to compete with Australian wine, and theinove should be rather in the direction of an increase than a decrease. The motion was carried in the following form: — . "That no reduction be made in the duty %on imported wine, as the industry in this colony is in its infancy, though in a promising condition, and any reduction of duty would tend to' ruin it.'' The subject of canned fruit, was raised by Mr. Lowe, who said the Government had subsidised the canning industry in this colony, that it had a big future before it, and any reductiop in the tariff would seriously affect an industryC which had been started at very great expense. He moved a resolution to that effect. T.he motion was seconded by Mr. Bennetts. The chairman suggested that the following motion should be carried : "That this conference bring under the notice of the Minister for Agriculture the fact that t the canning industry of the colony is' in it 3 infancy, and will for many , years require all the assistance and encouragement that the Government can give it." This v/ao. agreed to, and the motion carried. Mr. Sisson brought up the question of establishing fruit-testing stations, so as to discover which were the most suitable varieties for the various districts, to test sprays for pests, and so on, and he urged that buch stations should bo established by the Government at Auckland, Hawkes Bay. Mctueka or Nelson, Canterbury, and Ota-" goMr. Kirk (Government Biologist) said he hid done all he could for years fo get a testing station established, and lie was trery glad to find the associations wen; now supporting' him. He had been very disappointed that the associations had not backed up the recommendations of tho Government officers hi hoirtilv as they might have done. One ot his ideas was that there should be co-operative testing station.? — the grower to find the land, and tho Government to find tho trees, direct the work, and pay the grower ior his actual labour. By that means they would have a number of testing stations throughout the country with a minimum of expense and 0 a maximum of efficiency. A testing station, he added, had already been started at Tanmnga, and he hoped to ccc others established at Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Canterbury, anrl Central Otago. Mr. Lowe said a year ago Ills association asked the department for 400 trees to carry oiit exactly the eufuwl'

tion made by Mr. Kirk in regard to co-operative stations, and the only reply they got was that trees could be obtained from tho Momohaki station at a nominal cost. Mr. Kirk said that was the first he had heard ol it. The necessity of establishing testing stations was agreed upon, by the conference, and it was decided to ask the Government to put a sufficient sum of money on the Estimates for the purport. At this stage a number of members of Parliament attendrd. The chairman then brought up the question of the blights he had reterred to in his opening remarks. The Hawkes Bay Association, be said, had written to the Minister asking that the importation of Californian pear trees or buds should bo prohibited until a remedy for the Californian pear blight had bsen discovered, and that in regard to the Queensland fruit fly the Government should revert to th© regulations under which the whole of a cargo would be desl-royed on the discoveiy of the fly among it. Mr. Kirk quoted from his past repoitsto show the danger to be anticipated from the in*-roduction of the Queensland fruit fly. As to the pear blight he had drafted a proclamation to prohibit the importation of pear trees or any portion of a pear tree from any jiart of America unless accompanied by a certificate signed' by a Government officer that- they came from a district free from tho blight The conference passed resolutions' urging the Government to make regulations to prevent the v introduction of both th«i© pests into the colony. Mr. Bennetts moved a resolution of protest against, the practice of experimenting with pests in gauze cages, which are easily damaged and so lead to the insects escaping. This was seconded by Mr Lowe and carried. i Mr. Lowe urged the necessity of prohibiting the importation of fruit from all countries in which the fruit fly exists, but no resolution was moved on the subject. The conference then entered into a discussion with some of the members present as to the requirements of the fruit-grow-ing industry, and the opinion was expressed by some of the members that iruit is too dear in New Zealand, and that the thing necessaTy is a fruit .market run by the fruitgrowers themselves, so ns to bring grower and buyer aato direct communication. Incidentally Mr. Bennetts said it cost the growers at Teviot more to send their iruit to Dunedin than it cost the grower in Australia to send it there. /