OUR APPLES IN LONDON .

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 25 May 1936, Page 7

OUR APPLES IN LONDON .

INAUGURATION OF SEASON OPENING BY LADY BLEDISLOE Each year the New Zealand apple season is inaugurated with some ceremony at New Zealand House in The Strand, and the fruit is always arranged with artistry. This year’s opening took place on 29th April. New Zealanders invited and others who happened to be passing found in the entrance hall a stage effect rather more elaborate than previously and certainly very striking. The background was arranged as an orchard, with apple blossom heavy on the trees and beneath were ribbon-decked baskets of the fruit set on a grassy lawn. The first slogan to attract the eye was “New Zealand Apples —Highway to Health.” These words, in white lettering with a pale blue background, appeared prominently above the capacious miniature stage. Apples shown were of half a dozen varieties, highly polished, well graded and in excellent condition. Lady Bledisloe was invited by the High Commissioner to perform the opening ceremony. This she consented to do. With her came Lord Bledisloe. Lady Hewart was an early arrival. Mr H. E. Turner (official representative of the New Zealand Fruit Board) was present, as well as a great many recent arrivals from the Dominion and the staff of the High Commissioner’s Department. THE DELECTABLE MOMENT Sir James Parr, who introduced Lord and Lady Bledisloe, said that the main object of the exhibition begun in 1928. was publicity. “We want our customers, the English people generally, to know that the delectable moment has arrived when they are going to eat the finest apples on the globe—the apples from New Zealand.” He referred to the vexed question of the middleman and mentioned that while the growers got not more than Id a lb., the fruit here is retailed at 9d or lOd a lb. Lady Bledisloe spoke to “My dear friends from New Zealand,” and declared that when she looked at the apples they carried her back to the Dominion and the blue sky. TRIBUTE TO SIR JAMES PARR Lord Bledisloe paid a tribute to Sir James Parr. “Seven or eight years ago,” he said, “I heard him described as the best bagman in the Empire, with the exception of our present King. I feel that his reputation has been well maintained. We all have to be bagmen if we want to do our duty to our country and our Empire.” He spoke of New Zealand as the most fascinating Dominion of the Crown, and remarked that the country was fortunate as regarded her climate and her people. New Zealand could justly claim to lead the world in the grading and packing of her fruit. He had seen badly-packed fruit arrive from various parts of the world, but never, during the past five years, had he seen badly-packed or graded fruit from New Zealand. IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING Reference to the importance of marketing New Zealands produce was

made by Sir James Parr. People in New Zealand, he said, did not realise how much had been done by the man selling their apples in England. The fruitgrowers, however, were happily nleased in that respect, for in Mr H. E. Turner they had the best bagman for apples in the world. Mr Turner thanked Sir James for his tribute. He also thanked Lady Bledisloe for declaring the new season open. A basket of apples was presented to Lady Bledisloe.