POOLING FRUIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 November 1927, Page 9

POOLING FRUIT

MEW SCHEME SUGGESTED

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD

Some discussion on the question of a general pool of fruit took place at ’the meeting at S'tolfe last : evening addressed''by Coloiiel Gray. In answer'to Mr Brown Col. Gray stated that voluntary pools were tried last season, but they did not have' the effect he had hoped. He did not think them worth the trouble. If they decided to try out a. general pool over the whole province he thought it would be worth trying. But they should take the out-sizes and form it into a provincial pool under one shipping number. If growers \yanted it the Board would give it a trial; and he suggested that a conference of delegates from the different centres he held to discuss it. He would not recommend voluntary pools, and did not think pools would be any good unless the whole province was taken in.

Mr Thorpe remarked that certain markets wanted large fruit arid others small fruit. They did not want to raise the question of pooling if it was going to disrupt control. It was no good one-half pulling one way and the other half another.

Asked if he had any suggestion to make, . Colonel .Gray replied that if the province agreed to the scheme, all fruit over a certain size should go under one shipping number, irrespective of the man who grew it and where it came from. A certain amount of big stuff would go to .any market. He thought it would he safe to try it out in a limited way for a start. lie added that they wanted to make pretty certain that our good stuff would always come out with a good average and not he spoilt by other stuff.

Mr Stephens said the question had not been considered by growers on the Nelson side of the Hills. He moved: “That this meeting recommends that the committee of the Stoke Fruitgrowers’ Association take steps to send four delegates to a representative conference and report back to the Association.”

Mr Stephens added that if it the proposal was to lie carried out they must have a big majority of the growers behind them.

The motion was then put and carried.