THE FRUIT-GROWING INDUSTBY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 15 June 1907, Page 1

THE FRUIT-GROWING INDUSTBY.

AT CHRISTCHURCH. AGITATION AGAINST REMOVAL OF FRUIT DUTIES. In view of communications having been received in Nelson asking for the co-operation of local fruitgrowers in an endeavour to have the duty on imported fruit retained, the following report (taken from the Christchurch "Pi-ess") of a meeting held at Christ^ church on Saturday last, will be of great interest : , A largely-attended special meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association was held on Saturday night for the purpose of discussing with distnct Parliamentary representatives, the advisableness^f .continuing the protection ■*>xteKc§?3?hy fih'e' present* tariff to the *New Zealand fruit-growing industry. •Mi' l'. Sisson presided. Messrs D. Buddo, H. Davcy, G.' Witty, and C. M. Oray, M.'sH.R., were in attendance and' apologies iar absence were ''eceived from Messrs C. A. C. Hardy, F.. R. Flatman, and R. Heaton • Rhodes, M.'sH.R, ■'■ A. ■ ' __ Mr E. H. Little, of the Christchurch Fruit and Produce Company in apologising for absence, said that if the fruit, duty of ld per lb., levied upon imported fruit were interfered with, it would be the death knell -to 'the locan industiry. He hardly thaught there was any serious intention on the pairt of Parliament to. reduce * the duty in face of what the Government was 'doing ti assist the industry. Tlie writer suggested that the Association should fight tor an extension of quite another six weeks' duty to enable the growers to clear their stocks. The following list of arguments in j favour of continued protection, drawn up by a sub-committee of the Association, were read and approved: — (1). Our colonial fruit industry is still in its infancy, there being as yet no export trade, and Government fostering being felt an urgent necessity. (2).. The fruit-growing industry is, praeti-.' ciiliv speilting, a necessity part of the work of close settlement of land with, its intensive cultivation. ' (3). We feel it is a sheer impossibility ' to make fruitgrowing an important colonial industry without a considerable duty on imported fruit. (4). We are. handicapped in competition with Australia by ..higher-paid labour, higher-priced land, and we strongly object, at the expense of our own workmen, to fost .- foreign industries with their underpaid labour. (5). Wo point out that the item "labour" is continually increasing, ■"•wing to tha introduction on imported fruit of foreign orchard pests, such as fruit fly. (6J. At present Australia and Tasmania send us their second grade fruit. If the tariff were removed, or***."' markets wonld be the dumping ground for .their poorer fruit, our industry would be killed, and with de- ' terioration of quality there would be absolutely no bar to a rise of prices later on. (7.) Cheap fruit would not ba obtained simply by cemoval of the duty, as bad methods of distribution ar? even a larger factor influencing the price. (8.) The present season has shown that fruit of (he highest quality can be produced in Canterbury, and with a continuation of the present Government policy, we are certain that before long an export trade will be established, and the industry set upon its feet/ (9). On account of increasing production of late-keeping fruit, which is not marketable till August, we can supply our own markets until the end of that month, so that the reduction to iti should not be made until that date, instead of the 15th July, as at present. . The chairman, in explaining the position to the members of Parliament present, stated that if the duty were interfered with, wages would have to come down. At present, it cost the speaker £50 a year to combat the codlin moth, and if the fruit fly became established, it would cost him another £50. If there were better methods of distribution by the wholesale firms, the consumers would pay less. If the City Council established the proposed : municipal markets the growers would get more for their products, while the consumer, dealing direct with the grower, would pay less for fruit than at present. The display of 'Canterbury fruit at the Exhibition included some oi the finest varieties one could wish to 6ee, and was much better than that from Canada. Mr C. Allington pointed out that owing to the encouragement given to the fruit-growing industry by the Government, many people had been induced to spend considerable sums of money in purchasing and laying out land, and these would lose heavily if the duty were reduced. Mr Gray asked if the chairman could explain how it *was that in many orchards fruit was left to rot bn the ground, while in Christchurch decent apples could not be purohased at less than 6d per pound. The chairman stated it was impossible for the growers to get more than 2d pc- pound at auction for the best dessert apples. There were more apples grown locally than were needed. ,He thought the high rents and wages the fruiterers had to pay had something to do with the dearness of fruit. Mr Hubbard said there was no proper communication between grower and consumer. A municipal market was the only remedy. The growers getting ld per pound for their produce, and the consumer paying 6d, indicated that there wns something obviously wrong in the system of distribution. Either the shopkeepers were paying too high -i -silts, cr else they were making enor r mous profits. The former.he thought, was the case. If the growers got 6s per ca.se at auction, they had to pay 10 per cent commission, aiid give in the case, which meant that on 401b of fruit they lost a shilling. . * The chairman indicated the probable effect nf admitting Tasmanian fruit free of duty, by stating that a couple of seasons ago thousands of cases of apples were sent over from Tasmania to Wellington to be sold, and yielded nothing for cither thc auctioneer cc the grower. They averaged 3s or 4s per 401b case, and id per !b duty, and Id per lb cost of handling had to come off, so that there was nothing, left after paying the charges. And yet apples were still 6d per lb in Wellington. Mr Davey: "I suppose the Chinamen who run the trade in Wellington make a clear.- profit of 4d per lb." Mr E. Wilkinson said the business of fruit-selling was a very easy one to go into, and there were too many in it. Fair stands cost £5 a week; and with * a limited turnover high charges had to be levied in order to make both ends meet. There were between fifty and '■ sixty fruit shops in Christchurch. No matter whether fruit (wholesale) was sold cheaply, the public got very little benefit, and the same thing woijld happen if the duty wore taken off.. Mr W. Gimblctt said that after 35 years' experience, ho estimated that with rents, wages, breakages, anjl decay the retailer lost 35 per cent, of the value of his fruit before he could get it to the public. The demand was confined to first-quality fruit, and he invariably tl-ew away enough of the second quality to keep three families going. In cases of the best dessert apples there were very few that would bring 6d per lb. ; others brought 4d, 3d, and 2d. If imported fruit were

BK^n*^'''''BHißHMVW''MH h»**.w-v>^i2i +ui.'--2*(s;v*T yiZJZCi'i admitted free, the retailers would do belter, but the local growers wonld ho killed. "We shall never get ;cheap fruit in Christchnrch until _we have cheaper ' means of 1 distribution," • the speaker concluded. In reply to a question by Mr Gray, the chairman stated that growers' wcce now going in more for "keeping" sorts of apples. Much of their iruit would keep until November, and -that* was why they asked that the duty- should be extended ' until the end of August. He thought, in view of the •■< friiit fly pest, that the Government should, ensure that the inspection of -fruit coming into the colony, was vigorously attended to. „ iy Mr Hubbard said the present system of inspection was a farce. • If ..-the colony was to be kept fcee...pf*.jinsect and fungoid pests, they mpst, prohibit importation. * , XX -.. -.Another,* member stated -that^'keeping" ' varieties of. , apples were. \ now largely grown. His firm had £50- .eases which would not be fit to place on the market until September. 7 ..." In reply to Mr Gray, Mr Allington remarked that the powers 'asked for Government protection only- as-, a temporary expedient. They hoped to do without it when the, industry was properly established. Mr Fitch said there was plenty . of good fruit in New Zealand.. The high prices were due to faulty distribution, dear land, and dear laboi:c. If the'duty were removed, no one would" gain any advantage. A duty of £d per"lb would not keep out Tasmanian fruit, as it cost New Zealand growers, all. that to send their fruit from cne centre to another.* •. >;.-. .;, '.. -'.A'...'; Mr Withara pointed' o.ut ' that • if ' Australian grapes only were admitted* fcee, that .would spoil the' demahdy for 'other varieties of Bofter local fruit."';.. Mr Buddo said the meeting had' made out a strong case t b*y7showing v that if the local fruit-growing industry .were ' stranded the public would; have to pay through the nose fqr-its fcuit,- and it was due from the people. to* see that the industry was fostered tpithe extent at least of assuring*' that ';tHey^themselves were hot 'robbed.' Z; The ; State should, give the industry 'protection ' to see it over the experimental, stages.* The speaker was in favour bf continuing the present .protection for fouc •or .five years, when it would -Jie-iny'a. "position of fearing no outside competition. The duty -should be arranged oh' a 'sliding scale, so that the . community might obtain an advantage from, impo^t^d -fruit when, the local supply Twas smallest AU . the arguments advanced during * the evening pointed .towards-the/establish-ment of a municipal -markets'"*.; 7; . Mr. Dayey said he could only..^repeat forme***' promise — namely, to do his -hest to conserve the growers' interests while not killing the shopkeepers'. „ He thought a municipal market wouid not , be of much good to the individual. who wanted a pound of fruit. • Mr Witty said, neither the producer nor the consumer were getting fair ' play. New Zealand was competing against countries which heTd . climaticandMaboue advantages: : The ■ people wanted cheap fruit, but not ~ cheap la- ; bour, and therefore the industry ■ should be protected to a certain extent. Bootmakers, clothiers, and other trades were protected, and the should be also. What was . the use* _ -he asked, in the Government spending thousands of .pounds on . experimental stations if it was going to let outside . fruit in free. He doubted if a municipal market would benefit the ; growers ; much. They wanted,, however; - to do ' without the middleman, who at present was doming between the producers and the consumers, to the * disadvantage of both..* _-■ : •:•*.:'■ 'J' Mr Gray, said there. were. two. points of primary importance, * namely,*' the questions -of i>rotectioh and distribution . He was in favour of protection of the industry for a number of years, until it was firmly established. He was opposed to giving ' preference to the products of cheap, labour from the other side... New .Zealanders should protect their own industries even at a slight sacrifice." .'*.* He promised that if . there -were any._ tariff revision this year lie -would -do his best to further the interests of the . fruitgrowtcs. ■ v ■;..".'. ,y