COOK ISLAND TOMATOES

Evening Star, Issue 19328, 14 August 1926, Page 4

COOK ISLAND TOMATOES

HEW ZEALAND GROWERS' REQUEST VIGOROUS DENUNCIATION BY MINISTER [From Ocr Parltamentakt Reporter] WELLINGTON, August 13, “ The whole question resolves itself into this; Are the Cook Islands a part of New Zealand or are they not?” declared Sir Maui Pomare.. “If they are, then why embark on a new policy of differentiation as between one part of New Zealand and another part.” This was the opinion expressed by the Minister in charge of the Cook Islands when, the Industries and Commerce Committee, in connection with a petition from a large number of New Zealand tomato growers praying that Cook Island tomatoes bo excluded from the dominion during certain months, recommended that the question of providing reasonable protection for the New Zealand grower during the months of November and December should bo referred to the Government for consideration.

“If the Cook Islands arc not of New Zealand,” continued Sir Maui, “then kick their tomatoes out, pukon a tariff, impose duties —do anything you like; but if they are part of New Zealand, by what constitutional right or any other right are we to embark on a policy without precedent in the history of New Zealand, and a policy most dangerous to establish? Why, you might as well say that because the South Island has good coal at Westport the North Island should close down Huntly mine; or why not say that because merino wool _is grown ia the south and cross-bred in the north the south shall not grow wool?” Mr J. M’Combs (Lyttelton): They don’t grow much merino in the South Island. Sir Maui: They grow more than in the North Island, and that shows how much the hon. member knows about wool. (Laughter.) Before the committee some Labor members had spoken in favor of dividing the season, the Minister continued, They wanted the tomato at high prices; they wanted to see prices put up so that the poor man whom they represented, and for whom their hearts bled. (Ob, how they bled!) could not afford to buy such luxuries. (Labor laughter.) “ I’ve often heard those hon. members pleading for the poor proletariat, who can’t afford the rich man’s luxuries; but wbat are they doing now?” asked Sir Maui. •

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) said that ho had not spoken of island luxuries. Sir Maui replied that he bad heard the views of a certain member on that side of the House in tho committee. It was said that one could not compare the standard of comfort in .he Islands with that of New Zealand; but what was a standard of comfort ? Mr D. Jones (facetiously),: Moving pictures! Sir Maui: They have got pictures every night. . Mr R. Fraser : And they enjoy them, too. Sir Maui: Is it motor _ cars ? The lion, member for Wakatipu told us that they had motor cars. But I think the difficulty can be found here in this statement, where it is said that the capital outlay by tomato growers in the Nelson district alone is £IOO,OOO, and that there is the possibility of tho annihilation of tho industry by the importation of fruit “ produced outside of the dominion by colored labor. “ There is the whole thing in a nutslicl I—colored labor,” thundered ' fair Maui. “The people who were my ancestors, tho people who' inhabited these islands before the pakoha came; and you call them colored labor. - But what about this?. (holding up a petition concerning tomato growers). What are these names? —Macarino (loud laughter), Vctoria (uproar), Pogindiano, Tonassaro.” „ , ~ Here Mr Speaker called three times for order, tho laughter having drowned the Minister’s voice. “ Well, I won’t say _ those people who signed are not British subjects, but they are the people who object to the fruit coming m frora_ the Islands. You had your opportunity in 1911, when the Islands were ceded to New Zealand of their own free will. You were glaa of the white man’s burden, glad of the British Empire, on which tho sun always shines. Wo bring up the motives, educate them, teach them to pioducc, and then forbid them to export their fruit. Where is your logic? Whore is your brotherhood of man?” Mr H. E. Holland (laughing): I haven’t said a word. Sir Maui: Perhaps not now, but I have heard the hon. member say it a good many times before. They say that, the 360 cases of fruit—that is all there is that goes through Lyttelton tunnel for tho whole of the South Island in November—affects the price of the locally-grown product. _ Microscopic! With a 300-power microscope you could not see the effect. Mr McCombs (Lyttelton) declared that ,I.hc tomato growers, far from wanting to keep out the Island tomatoes, were anxious to see shipping facilities improved. They did not object to importations during tho flush ot the Island season, but they asked for regulation so that, the New Zealand product was not prejudiced by the tail end of the Cook Island production. The committee’s report was adopted.