MOTUEKA DISTRICT FRUIT EXPORTERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 9 February 1943, Page 3

MOTUEKA DISTRICT FRUIT EXPORTERS

ANNUAL MEETING AT LOWER MOUTERE The annual meeting of the Motueka District Fruit Exporters’ Association was held in the Jubilee Hall, Lower Moutere on Saturday evening when Mr L. B. Robinson presided over a small attendance of members. The balance sheet present by the secretary showed a bank credit of £56 19s 6d and assets over liabilities of £9O 12s 6d.

On the motion of the chairman and Mr C. H. Mackay the balance sheet and annual report were adopted. Mr Robinson, in reviewing the year’s activities, said that owing to war conditions the Association had not been very active and meetings on the whole were poorly attended. The Association had been unfortunate in losing the services of an energetic chairman, due to Mr F. E. Clark having taken up military duties. Difficulty had been experienced in getting members together when required on account of Home [ Guard and other duties occupying j their spare time.

Mr Robinson expressed disappoint- 1 ment that so far nothing definite had 1 been done to fix the price of fruit for by-product purposes. A propo- : sal, he said, was on foot for the es-; tablishment of another evaporating ■ plant in the district. The Govern- : ment, he understood, would provide the plant and equipment and would purchase the finished product. It; was suggested that a growers’ com- 1 mitee be set up in connection with : the running of the evaporating plant. Arrangements in respect to the I supply of W.B.C. pears to factories were commented upon by Mr Robin- I son. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Office bearers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: President, j Mr L. B. Robinson; vice-president,; Mr W. J. Davis; treasurer, Mr G. Flett; secretary, Mr A. E. Lindup; auditors, Messrs G. Allcott and W. J. | Tillson. Messrs P. T. Driver and F. H. Cooper, retiring committeemen, who were eligible for re-election, were returned to office.

Mr Robinson in returning thanks' for his election as chairman, assured j members that he would give as much attention as possible to the business of the Association. On the motion of Messrs Driver, and Mackay it was decided that; members’ subscriptions be on a similar basis to last year, namely 4s per 1000 packed cases. Arising out of the minutes of the ! last ordinary meeting, Mr J. O. An-j derson, orchard instructor, s’ated that fireblight infection in apples had been confined to the blossoming period but in the case of pears and quinces it had been rather pe:sistent particularly in regard to the -latter and these trees required constant attention. In reply to a question Mr Anderson said he had not noticed any fireblight infection in hawthorn this sea- ' Case timber and packing in the! new standard case were other matters discussed by the meeting.