Reasons for Importing Japanese Onions

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 172, 24 July 1939, Page 2

Reasons for Importing Japanese Onions

TO MEET SHORTAGE Appeal to Trade to Honour Contract

(By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON. July 22. The necessity for the importation of onions this year to ensure adequate supplies for consumers was explained by the Director of Internal Marketing, Mr F. R. Picot. He said that there 6eemed to be considerable misunderstanding about the position. Even bestquality New Zealand onions would not keep right through the year, and it was essential to import onions at this time to meet the demand for what was looked upon as an essential winter foodstuff and in some quarters as a medicinal standby.

“Local supplies,” he said, “usually last until July or August, and there is a gap between the end of the New Zealand season and the beginning of the supply from Canada and California, from which countries the bulk of the New Zealand imports is drawn. On account of the drought and huge bush fires in Australia in the early part of the year the Victorian onion crop, which is generally a big one. was almost a complete failure, and shipments had been made from New Zealand to help meet the Australian shortage. “It was therefore necessary to make early arrangements to meet the anticipated between-seasons shortage, and many months ago, long before there was any tension between Japan and Great Britain, the Marketing Division made arrangements to Import a small quantity of Japanese onions, which were the only suitable supply available at the right period.” “The position was that New Zealand had entered into a contract, and he was sure that the average New Zealand citizen would not wish this country to be party to a breach of any contract entered into in good faith unless with the approval of both parties. It wa» therefore particularly desirable that wholesale merchants, retailers and consumers should not take up the illogical position of refusing to handle these onions -while they were at the same time selling or using many household articles produced in Japan, such as silk stockings, oak furniture, tinned salmon, cotton piece-goods and so on to mention but a few. “For many years Chinese fruiterers had refused to handle Japanese goods, and their attitude had been entirely understood by the general public, but in the present case wholesalers and retailers would be doing a disservice to the community if they in any way held up the distribution of this important winter commodity, which, it should be clearly understood, had been for some time the property of the New Zealand Government Japanese onions were of excellent quality and food, value and should be in much demand by hoese wives during these ex.tremelv cold monlha ot the year.”