SHIPPING OF FRUIT

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 130, 3 June 1936, Page 6

SHIPPING OF FRUIT

SPACE ARRANGEMENTS

EVIDENCE FOR UNION

COMPANY

Further evidence in the matter of petitions before the Industries and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives by the natives of the Cook Islands was taken yesterday afternoon. Duncan Munro, planter, of Rarotonga, gave evidence as to treatment of an' area of land taken over by him ten years ago. It had resulted in his oranges being ranked as first class. The Island trees would respond if treated right. The Rarotongan growers were discontented with the low prices offered by traders. He hinted at combined interests unfortunate to the planters, m and said that he had been unable to get space from the Union Steam Ship Company for his fruit unless he sold it at the traders' price. He confirmed the evidence of previous witnesses as to the cost of distributing fruit. J. A. Grimwood, giving evidence for the Union Steam Ship Company, said that it had catered for the Island trade since 1896. In regard to Rarotonga an estimate of space requirements had to be made fifteen days before loading. If the total space requirements exceeded the capacity of the vessel, a closer estimate was called for which usually brought the requirements well within the capacity. Then the space « was allotted pro rata amongst all applicants on the basis of their shipments during previous years. This proved generally satisfactory, but a native who had not shipped in his own name in the previous year might find himself without space. . As the San Francisco mail steamers usually had space for from 15,000 to 18 000 cases, and occasionally i there was usually ample space. They j had never charged dead weight fright , on mail steamers. The warning that . dead freight might have to be paid_on i unfilled space, was .effective. The exigencies of the mail service prevent- ■ ed the alteration of dates to avoid congesting the cargo sheds. As much of the fruit as possible was received on Saturday and Sunday. The sheds were weU ventilated and the cases.were all battened and open-stacked. The fruit was really better cared for there than it would be in the packing sheds or out in the open. In special circumstances a portion of fruit such as bananas and tomatoes was received on the wharf on Mondays, but it was not made a general practice, as the handling had to be rushed. In view of the withdrawal of the San Francisco mail service at the end of the year the Union Steam Ship Comnanv was considering arrangements for its new cold storage vessel Matua to make regular calls at Rarotonga from and to New Zealand, with seasonal calls at the outer islands, but the itinerary had not yet been arranged. Ernest George Robertson, a direc- : tor of Market Gardeners, Ltd., iruit ' and produce auctioneers, Wellington, said that his firm was neither a member of the local Fruitbrokers Associa--1 tion nor of the New Zealand Fruit i Merchants' Federation, but he held . that no fruit ring existed. His firm was averse to any form of control that i would eliminate it from securing supplies from the Cook Islands. After supplying figures of his firm's trading, he ! agreed that it had made a gross, not a . net, profit. t • The Committee adjourned until 10 s a.m. today.