CONFERENCE OF FRUITGROWERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14167, 15 September 1906, Page 2

CONFERENCE OF FRUITGROWERS.

[Pas Press Association'.] WELLINGTON, September 14. A conference of delegates representino- the fruit growers of the colony opened at Wellington this morning. The following were present Messrs Alison, M.H.R. (Northoote and Birkenhead Fruit Growers’ Association, and Albany Association), Philipeon (Auckland), Sisson (Canterbury), Bennetts (Otago, Teviot district), Fitzroy and Gould (Hawke’s Bay), and Loire (Nelson). Mr Fitzroy presided. Mr T. W. Kirk, Government- Biologist, was present, by invitation. The chairman, in opening the conference, said that the Hawke’s Bay Association had had brought under its notice two very destructive blights, Californian pear 'blight and Queensland fruit fly, which would be a very grave danget to the industry, unless immediate steps were taken. The conference would also be- asked to discuss the reciprocity treaty, with regard to fruit and wine. _ . The reciprocity question was first discussed. The following resolution was submitted by Mr Alison —“ That, in the opinion of this conference, the provisions in the reciprocal agreement between Australia and New Zealand, by which a decreased duty is to be placed upon fruit imported into New Zealand, from Australia, during the months of January and February, will be disastrous to the fruit-growing industry throughout the colony, and this conference vigorously protests against the proposal.” Messrs Sisson, Bennetts, Philipson, Low© and Alison having spoken, the motion was carried unanimously. Mr Sisson moved —“ That the penny duty be extended, so as to start on December 1 and end on September 30.” Mr Bennetts said that he did not see" why Australian fruit should come in free during any part of the year, as New Zealand would scon be in a position to supply the whole of the market.

Mr Lowe doubted if New Zealand could supply the colony all the year round. Ho would rather hold what they had got for the present than ask for too much. After discussion, it was decided to ask that the penny duty period should be extended, so as to begin on December 14 and end on August 14. Turning to the wine duty, the chairman moved that the Government should bo requested not- to agree to any reduction as proposed. Mr Gould seconded -the motion. For years, he said, the Government had been encouraging the fruit growers of Hawke’s Bay to grow grapes, for wine making, and now it was proposed in one act to crush the industry so created. Even at present it was very difficult to compete with Australian wine, and the move should be rather in the direction of an increase than a decrease. The motion was carried in the following form That no' reduction be made in the duty on imported wine, as the industry in this colony is in its infancy, though in a promising condition,' and any reduction of duty would tend bo ruin it.” The canning industry was next discussed) and the following motion was carried“ That this conference ■ bring under the notice of the Minister of Agriculture the fact that the canning industry of the colony is in its infancy and will for many years require all the assistance and / encouragement that the Government can give it.” ill- Sisson brought up the question of establishing fruit testing stations so as to discover which were most suitable varieties for various districts, to test sprays for pests and so on, and he. urged that such stations should be established by the Government at Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Motueka or Nelson, Canterbury and Otago. Mr Kirk (Government Biologist) said he had done all he could for years to get testing stations established, and he was very glad to find the Associations nowsupporting him. Tie had been very disappointed that the Associations had not backed up the recommendations of Government officers as heartily as they might hav6 done. One of his ideas was that there should be co-operative testing stations, the grower to find the laud and the Government to find the trees, direct the work and pay the grower, for his actual labour. By that means they would have a number of testing stations throughout the country with a minimum of expense and a maximum of efficiency. A testing station, he added,

had already been started at Tauranga, and he hoped to see others established, at Hawke's Bay, Nelson, Canterbury and Central Otago. The necessity of establishing testing stations was agreed to ,by the conference, and it was decided to ask tho Government to put a sufficient sum of money on the estimates for the. purpose. The chairman then brought up the of blights. The Hawke’s Bay Association, he said,; had written td the Minister asking that the. importation of Californian pear trees or buds should be prohibited until, a. remedy for the Californian pear blight had been discovered, and that; in- regard to tho Queensland fruit fly the- Government should revert to the regulations .under which the whole of a cargo would be destroyed on the discovery of *fly among it. '■

The conference passed resolutions urging the Government to make regu- - lations to prevent the introduction of both these pests into the colony. Mr Bennetts moved a resolution of protest against the “practice of experimenting with pests in gauze cages, which are easily damaged, and so lead to the insects escaping. This was seconded by Mr Lowe and carried.

Mr Lowe urged the necessity of prohibiting the importation of fruit , from a 11_ countries in which the fruit fly exists, but no resolution was moved on the subjectSeveral members of Parliament were present during portions of the Bitting of the conference. ’