AMERICAN ONIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 25, 29 July 1924, Page 6

AMERICAN ONIONS

A SOUTH ISLAND 'PKOTEST.

From Mr E. O. Eeilly, president South Island Fruit and Produce Brokers' Association, is received, correspondence ••vith the Government on the embargo on cmons from California. On behalf of importers, Mr. Reilly addressed Mr. Dowme Stewart as Minister of Customs, und Messrs. T..M. Wilford and H. Holl «nd M.P. s suggesting that Mr. Nosworthy, as-Minister of Agriculture had taken up a most arbitrary stand and, lurther, his suggestion that importers should have first approached the Department, in face of the facts, is absurd. Prachcally all orders for onions v.eie placed with America early in June 2 m*f c was n°t the slightest indication that any such embargo would be placed on foodstuff coming from America and yet about the 17th July wo noticed that the Minister had decided to prohibit the importation, without even assuring himself that the goods he proposed prohibiting were in any way likely U) be carriers of the foot-and-mouth

In the letters to the Minister and members above-named, Mr. Reilly pointed out that some oF the onions were in .ansitto How Zealand, and some were m dryinjc sheds m Northern Calfornia ■ and further, the foot-and-mouth dTseate h located m Sontliorn California and Arizona. No beasts of any description graze on the onion lands j further, the culln-ation, forwarding. to sheds, ' ad marketing are all by gasoline power and hand labour. Australian onions are unobtainable after September. America is the only source of supply, and 1000 ■tons have been ordered for' South Is land requirements and payments arranged Merchants asked that "such panic Orders-m-Council" preventing the importation of onions into New Zealand bo fully considered by all members of Par hament This was asked in face of the act that from Great Britain, where the foot-and-mouth disease has been over rimmng the country for years, firms in Aew Zealand have been receiving but•ous and tuberous plants, packing material ,n shape of hay, straw |t" s * giadeis. ■ It is understood that live stock of any description should be prohibited from landing, but on behalf of the consuming public Ml consideration of this important matter is requeued