THE TOMATO INDUSTRY

Nelson Evening Mail, 2 August 1916, Page 4

THE TOMATO INDUSTRY

NELSQ-N. GROnViJeiES\.WAIT ON.-TiHE,'

GOVERNMENT.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.!

■WELLINGTON, Aug. 1. A deputation consisting- o£ Mr T. A. E. Field (Nelson), Mr E. P. Hudsom (Motueka),. tho Hon. A. T. Maginnity, Messrs i(HuU), Witty (Eiccarton), El.l (Christchurch South), and Cblvdn (Westport)', waited on the Minister ! of Agriculture ifMir MaeDonald) on 'behalf of the tomato growers of New Zealand*. Dr. iPomare, Minister for th!e Cook Islands, was also present. .Mr T. A. JET. Field said there -were two practical proposals put, forward 'by the tomato growers.. One was that the importation of '.Cook Island tomatoes should be prohibited afteir November-Ist. - The other proposal was that Baxotongari tomatoes should l be branded on the case« and sold ,as such, both, wholesale and retail. As things stoodl at present, New Zealand .grower®, who in Nelson alone employed' 600 persons, were threatened with ruin. The Cook Islands, though, part of New Zealand, were not subject to the New Zealand labour laws. Messrs Wilfordi, Witty, Hud&on, and Magnimit\! also urged that something should be done to help New Zealand growers. _, Dr. iPomare objected to a partial prohibition of the importation of tomatoes, but saw no objection to marking cases . and selling the fruit as Earotongan. • The Minister of Agriculture was sympathetic with; the He said the Government was encouraging people in going on this land, and' therefore it was anxious to help the growers. "He would -get an exhaustive report on the whole matter, andi see what could be done. He thought "there would 'be no difficulty about (marking cases as requested. •