EMPIRE FRUIT AND FOREIGN

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 145, 16 December 1926, Page 11

EMPIRE FRUIT AND FOREIGN

Tho increase in Britain's imports of Empiregrown fruit has been due to private enterprise at great expense. This statement was made by tho national Federation of Prult and Potato Traders' Associations, of London, in tlio course of a statement made by the association, to the Imperial Conference, in criticism of some of the' proposals of tho Imperial Economic Committee. - : It is not qu(to clear what branch of, private enterprise the roport refers to; but it is also a fact that tho State, In New Zealand at any rate, has been put to considerable expenso, and that without the Government guarantee the financing of the 700,000 cases of apples sent [ last season from.New Zealand to London could hardly have been carried out. The federation protested against tho assumption—attributed to the Imperial Economic Committee—that fruit imports from foreign countrie» wore undesirable.' They considered it was a tribute to British traders that Great Britain could obtain for tho shipping and carrying trades of the country such an Important article of food, tho valuo of imports of which, in 1924 amounted to £48,300,000. In addition, a largo quantity of.the fruit was re-exported principally in British vessels, which: also- provided substantial revenue for British railways. The federation, .in referring to the Increase in imports of Empire-grown fruit, stated that this had been duo to private' enterprise at great expense. Tho federation fully supported tho recommendations of the Coiumltteo in regard to grading and packing,, but pointed out that tho ideas in this matter were largely tho result of experiments and . trials over long periods of years, and tho trado had at all times striven to foster better ideas of paeldng. Foreign shippers also had these problems to face. While welcoming any investigation into financial risks involved in tho marketing of fruit, the fedoratlon asserted that. it w;is difficult to obviate them. Tho trade was at all times willing to wicoiira'go and assist investigations respecting clifncultles of cold storage,- and appreciated rasearcli work undertaken to minimise and prevent waste in" tho transport and Ktorago of fruit. Several factors in regard to risk of deterioration, lioivevcr, had to be taken into account, eucli as climatic conditions during the growing period, climatic condtions at the destination of tho fruit, industrial troubles, reduction of tho spending power of the people, food scares (sijch1 as the.recent arsenic scare), and bad debts among producers and 'shippers. These troubles had a serious effect o« the cost of marketing.