FRUIT MARKETING COMPANY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 12 October 1922, Page 7

FRUIT MARKETING COMPANY

\ AK)|)Ii'W)%C!HEMK

Prior to Mr Allwood, I’resident of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Fcderalion, addressing the meeting at the In st it in I* yesterday afternoon, Mr James [luincr. secret ary of the Nelson Provincial Fruitgrowers' Council, Ltd., rcI’l’iTed to lhe proposed .scheme to establish a marketing company. As the result of meetings held throughout the district, said Mr Hunter, it was found impossible to raise £IO,OOO before the Company was registered, or to ensure the control of fruit necessary for the success of the. scheme. The larger scheme had therefore been dropped, and it bail been decided to endeavour to pni into operation a smaller scheme with a nominal capital of £20.000, of which £3OOO was to be subscribed before registration. It was very difficult, went on Mr Hunter, to make fruitgrowers realise that they must help each other, and a good deal of disappointment had boon experienced by those who took the preliminary steps in endeavouring to form the company. The modified company would have to start in a small way, and grow very gradually. There was not the slightest chance (if Mr Bisley’s original scheme being mil into operations until control of the fruit was obtained. As soon as certain formalities had been fixed up, the district would he canvassed for shares. CO-OPERATION At a later stage of the meeting Air Alt wood offered some valuable advice on co operation. He kncw something about the proposed scheme, and he had wondered whether they had gone into the unit ter as other places had done. Co operation, where successful, was born out- of difficulties, and those who bad gone into it had done so because tbev were “up against if" and could not' go another step further unless they wcnT together. Happily there was an illustration .still living in New Zealand of co-operative enterprise; he referred to the lemon growers of Auckland where control of Hie fruit had been obtained. ■‘Are yon prepared,” be asked those present', “to pledge every case yon have like the lemon growers did?” The big growers were the make or break of the concern-: others would come in automatically. Mention was made of the difficulties experienced of getting all growers to pome into the co-operative movement. Some growers because they did welt thought they could do without co-operation. ‘ But he reminded these that the pool made it passible for them to gel as much as those in the movement. “We want control, and absolute ciiitirol. It passes my power of comprehension why you cannot see that it is absolute control of your own products that is going to_ get you anywhere. and no .scheme will be successful unless you agree to act together.” Mr Attwood instanced the Californian bruit F.xehange as an example of what the co-operative movement lias meant to the growers. "Horne of you chaps cannot work together because you cannot agree, 1 hope 1 am not hurting anyone’s feelings, because 1 am stating facts, and it *i am wrong put me right. ’ In Auckland the growers fixed the price ol lemons and they got it- In California cverv bit of fruit was marketed under the 'co-operative system. The growers controlled the whole bang lot. “It will I>o i be long,” went on Mr Attwood, bfifort- we have ’control of the fruit, and if there is no other way of saving theinduslrv we will have to get control of it and save it in spite of you; for V e it i will in spite of you. I am fool enough to ask for control before i; is rtr.dv. but everything is tending j n 11|.| i direerimi. and those who don t enme iu will presently see the wisdom of coming in." He urged all those who went" into the movement to put the whole of their interests in it, and i fen null and loyal they would succeed all eigln. “But if you have no faith in it " wrapped out Air Attwood, for I heaven's sake dont' go on with it.’ Ihe .natter was entirely in the growers own hands, and it would he their fault if they did not win out and succeed, "ifi ference was made to the advertising mi llu.ds adopted iu the Eastern States of America, and iu one instance this had resulted in a premium of 15 cents a pound being obtained for certain brand of apples. The apples in America were sold at the salesmen’s own _price, arid there was no thought of trying to cut him down. The price was fixed, and that price ,had to be paid or no business resulted.' Of course this would be impossible bad they not control pf the fruit. We were a long way from Wirsc conditions, but why not introduce them. “It makes my heart ache to go into the markets and hear ‘Chows’ and others saying what they are going to pay for your fruit, mudi,” concluded the. speaker. .Mr Hunter said no one could have pal the ease, in more graphic terms than Mr Attwood had, and he thought the Council should avail itself of the services of ATr Attwood. On the motion of the chairman a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the speaker for his address. Mr W. Dee said Mr Atlwond’s speech bad been the. most logical and common sense om 1 he laid ever listened to in connection with the industry. (Applause). His remarks had put life into sonic of the growers who were feeling a little pessimistic. Mr Dee said he was of opinion.' from personal experience he hint gained in England last year, that it would pay the fruitgrowers a thousand times over to have a representative .in England to watch their interests. On behalf of the fruitgrowers ho moved a very hearty vote of thanks to Mr Attwood'for his address. The ml tion was carried, and the meeting teiy minaied.