FIJI FRUIT TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 111, 7 November 1923, Page 4

FIJI FRUIT TRADE

BUYERS' GRIEVANCE ■>..

STEAMER SERVICE IN DECEMBER.

(BS TELEGRAPH.—SFECIAIi 10 THE POST.)

AUCKLAND, This Day. Writing from Fiji at the end of October, the "Herald's" Suva correspondent says: Fiji fruit buyers have a grievance. It is impossible to get natives to out fruit during the Christinas week, and this was strongly represented to the Union Company in several ways. The cpmPjiny. however, has finally replied that it could not alter the date for sailing of its steamer, namely, 28th December. This will mean that little, if any, fruit will go from here to New Zealand in December. Members carried the following resolutions: "That this association views with great disapproval the action of the Union Steam Ship Company in declining to meet the wishes of shippers in regard to the sailing of the fruit ■steamer in December, and would record its opinion that in arriving at this decision .the interests of shippers who are the supporters of the service have not been in any way considered." "That in view of the action of the Union Steam Ship Company in regard to the sailing date of the fruit steamer in December, fruit shippers should approach some other company with the idea of placing their steamers to carry on the fruit trade to New Zealand."

It was resolved that the secretary cable to the Canadian Mercantile Marine with a view to arranging for its boat in December to call at Fiji and take 12,000 to 14,000 cases of bananas to New Zealand ports.