THEIR COMPLAINT

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 145, 16 December 1927, Page 8

THEIR COMPLAINT

{ AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION

FREIGHTS PACTOB

Concerning' .V^he circular (partly printed iv Wednesday's -'''Post") in which the well-known Greytbwn grower of cherries, apples, ana'pears,;:Mr.W. A. Tate,- complains of Australian competition, the ''"Wairarapa Age" writes: "Cherry growing has developed on a fairly big scale in the" Wairafapa and in other parts of the. Dominion, and affords-a considerable 3: amount of employment. It may easily be understood that those engaged in it feel that their industry has as much right as any other industry to protection -; against dumping. It is noteworthy, also, that the Dominion growers • are in some cases heavily handicapped in the matter of .freights in competing with their Australian rivals. Prom a national standpoint, it is obvious • that some branches of fruit-growing in the Dominion will labour under ■ a perpetual handicap unless effectual measures are taken to prevent Australian dumping. Apparently these branches, of-, production must be abandoned in .this country unless means, are found of .counteracting the effect upon our trade and industry of an occasional glut of- fruit production in Australia. Imports of cheap fruit at more or less uncertain intervals will hardly compensate for the wrecking of New Zealand industries. ''The issues raised need* more serious consideration than. they, seeuv yet to have received at. the hands of the Government. The feeling probably is fairly general—certainly it is not confined to.cherry growers—that Australia has had too much of her own way in her' trade with New. Zealand. She has imposed an embargo .on imports of fruit from this country, and the reasons assigned for this policy look,: in some cases at least, rather thin. .. Australia has gone to a. somewhat extreme point also in protecting her dairy, fanners against competition from New Zealand; She certainly will have, no Tight to complain of means are devised of safeguarding in this country industries like cherry growing which.lend themselves to an intensive use of land and are capable, once securely established, of affording a wide scope of employment."