NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 112, 12 May 1923, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

PROSPECTS FOR COMING SEASON

MR. T. W. ATTWOOD'S ACTIVITIES.

(WIOM OTO OW* CORRBIPOHBENT.)

LONDON, 17th March.

Mr. T. W. Attwood, president and managing director of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation, has wasted no time in making his presence felt in this country. He arrived only a little over a week ago, but has already visited Hull, Liverpool, and Manchester, and has consulted with poit authorities, railway authorities, and fruit brokers.

His primary object, of course, is to investigate the fruit markets, and to find a way-to diminish the costs on fruit after it has left the Dominion and before it reaches the consumer. With this in view he will pay a visit to all the ports trading directly or indirectly with New Zealand.

In addition he will be seeing a number of farm implement manufacturers and chemical manufacturers with a view to stimulating trade between the Dominion and the Mother _ Country. These implements for fruit cultivation have not hitherto been understood in this country, but it is evident from the few conversations Mr. Attwood has already had with manufacturers that they are only too willing to make and supply whatever is required. Next week he will be in communication with a number of firms, especially the Agricultural and General Engineers, Limited, an amalgamation of many of the largest firms in the country, and he will go to Bedford, Maiden, and a number of other manufacturing towns. In regard to chemicals for spraying, Mr.-Attwood has already seen the representatives of Cooper's Chemical Bureau, who are very keen on the Eubject of supplying what is required in New Zealand, and are ready to_ try out anything at all, and to get into line with the. fruitgrowers. HULL AS A FRUIT POET. Thanks for the enthusiasm of the citizens of Hull, and to their desire to attract direct trade to their port, Mr. Attwood's mission and New Zealand generally was. thoroughly well advisertised. The representative of the "Eastern Morning News" seems to have caught some of Mr. Attwood's own enthusiasm, and devoted nearly a column and a half to a description of the primary industries of the Dominion with special reference to fruit-growing. The leader-writer also seized the opportunity to publish an article on "The Growth of Hull as a Fruit Port."

■ Mr. Attwood inspected the facilities of the port of Hull 'for handling fruit, and he considers it the best he has seen in the Old Country. The port serves a very large and populous part of England. In addition, traders have an extensive clientele on the Continent,' which makes use of Hull as a port in preference to London. There is practically a daily service with European ports, and fruit could be got through and across the Channel in a very short time after being, unloaded from the overseas steamers. Liverpool, said Mr. Attwood, was handling very large quantities of fruit not only from America and Canada, but citrus fruit from Europe. Although the port supplies a very large consuming public he did not think the railway facilities were quite as good as those at Hull. Manchester facilities were much the same as at Liverpool, except that fruit for the town itself would be subject to the very lowest possible charges, as the quay was right in the heart of the city, and the cargoes could .be loaded directly into the town lorries. The week after next Mr. Attwood will visit Bristol and Cardiff.

The feeling among brokers in London, he says, is that the American and English fruit will all be cleared up before the Australian and New Zealand cargoes arrive, and they anticipate very fair

prices. Mr. Attwood has accepted an invitation to be present at the annual banquet of the National Federation of Fruit aprl Pobnto Trartos Association, which will be held at Sheffield next week.