AMERICAN APPLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 6 April 1926, Page 5

AMERICAN APPLES

INCREASED IMPORT TAX TO BE DISCUSSED AT FRUIT CONFERENCE (By Teleeranb.—Special *o The Mail.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 5. "America! Site won't take our wool; she won't take our mutton; and she loads us up with motor cars," Mr F. W. Sisson declared amidst laughter at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association during the discussion of a remit that the import tax on apples be increased. Air F. YV. Cone, in moving that the import tax on apples be raised from Id to 2d a lb. said: "We don't want to be importing apples into this country when we are able to export 500,000 cases annually. What's the use of sending it away if wo have to bring in foreign stuff? It is absurd that this fruit is coming into New Zealand and people are buying it." Mr F. W. Sisson: "I don't know whether we will get 2d on the apples. They're American apples all light. They're grown in California, but they're shipped to Vancouver and called Canadian. Every one knows how il is done, but can we stop it?" A member: "We can put a duty against Canada." Mr Sisson: "Yes, we can do that, but there will be opposition. They will say that the public are entitled to better apples than we can produce from the cold stores." Mr 0. E. Pope: "And what about Australia? A cherry grower told me he was hard hit by Australian cherries. They brought down the price from Is 6d to 9d." Mr L. Sisson: "If we are going lo export half a million cases of apples find then let other people bring them back again, that is not much good." Tiie chairman: "What about the Americans?" Mr F. W. Sisson then made the statement quoted above. The remit which will come before the conference in June, was carried.