AUCKLAND FRUITGROWERS' UNION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10910, 15 November 1898, Page 3

AUCKLAND FRUITGROWERS' UNION.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE. I The annual conference of the Auckland' Fruitgrowers' Union was. held at the, Technical School buildings, Rutland-street,! yesterday, commencing at half-past nine' am. The president, Mr. Wm. Johns,! Was in the chair, and there were also present: Messrs. John G. Kay (vice-president), George Lowe, R. H. Clow, and A. Wilson' (Birkenhead), P. Carl, J. Ohye, and M. Tierney (Waikato), H. Cochran and J j Parr (Waikumcte), E. Morrison (Mahu- • rangi), Gum (Avondale), L. Hanlon and 1 Conies (Whangarei), A. McArthur (Al- • Mny), W. Lippiatt (Otahuhu), Wm. i Thompson, H. E. Sharp, A. G. Sainsbury, l a. A. Brown. I annual REPORT. I The annual report of the executive, as sub- : mittcd by the secretary (Mr. J. H. Mackie), reported an unusually heavy amount of work performed, with results that it was hoped would prove commensurate with the efforts put forth. i

Many events had transpired during the past year, calling for prompt and decisive action, and the steps taken would, it was trusted, meet with approval, The first of these to claim attention was an attempt made m the Legislature to pass the Orchard and Garden lests Bill, 1897, a measure that had been only a few days before fully discussed and criticised by the conference, and strongly condemned as inimical to the best interests 01 fruitgrowers. Strong protests were sent to the Minister for Agriculture and to all the Auckland members of the House, the result being tno withdrawal of the measure for that session. Soon afterwards tho Agricultural Department notified the association that it was intended to transfer to the union the Government entomologist for Auckland, Captain liroun, and tho Department to subsidise the union to the extent of £100 per annum in part payment of his salary. Against this proposal the executive, ably assisted by the executive of tho Auckland Agricultural and 1 astoral Association, so strenuously objected that tho Department reluctantly relinquished the idea, and a step so retrograde and injurious to the fanning and fruitgrowing interests of the North was happily averted. Experimental Station: Profiting by the presence of the Secretary for Agriculture in Auckland, tile executive, in an interview with him, pointed out the necessity for the establishment of an experimental agricultural and horticultural station in the Auckland district, and in this matter they also received the cordial support of the Agricultural Association. The Secretary recognised tho desirability and utility of such a station, and inspected several sites near Auckland with a view to such a. purposo, but nothing definite resulted; and more recently, upon an occasion of a visit of two members ol tho executive to Wellington, when they again interviewed the Secretary for Agriculture upon the matter, the question of cost was pleaded as tho cbiof difficulty in the way. Tho executive greatly feared that until all the Auckland members of the Legislature combine to enforce their claims to consideration, the Lincoln College in tho far South will bo the only place in the colony where object-lessons in economic agricultural science will be taught, and the North will remain destitute of this indispensable aid to the acquirement of progressive agriculture. Fruit-drying: This subject, an important one, especially to growers residing in remote and inaccessible districts, from wlienco green fruit cannot easily bo sent to market, was brought forward by the members who visited Wellington, and on this matter the reply of the Secretary for Agriculture was more favourable. The Department had a suitable dryer on hand, and this, ill charge of an expert instructor, would be available to teach growers in tho North the latest and best method of preparing evaporated fruit or vegetables for market.

Sale of Fruit: This question—a vital one, and one, moreover, upon which some difference of opinion —lias occupied a considerable share of the executive's attention. 'Hie union's two Wellington delegates, Messrs. Johns and Sharp, were instructed to make careful inquiry while in that city as to methods of fruit disposal pursued there. The result of these inquiries appeared in a report compiled by Mr. Sharp, and laid before your executive, who called a meeting of all the Auckland fruit salesmen to consider the matter. This conference of salesmen has, the executive believes, led to beneficial results, fur, though no definite plan of action was agreed on, or, at any rate, adhered to, yet the lack of suitable premises wherein the whole of Auckland's fruit supply, as well as oilier produce, could lie submitted for sale to buyers was fully recognised J while sever, minor matters aft'eoting producers and salesmen were dealt with. It was to lie hoped, in the interests of sale-men, producers, and purchasers alike, that some scheme would be adopted whereby the present wasteful and inconvenient method of scattering fruit and produeo throughout the city for sale, involving a like scattering of purchasers, might soon terminate. Orchard and Garden Pests Bill, 1898: Southern growers seem determined to force this measure through the Legislature, regardloss of its hearing 011 the industry in the Northern portion of the colony— being again introduced into Parliament this session, with several variations. As ,1 result of the determined and persistent attitude, there appeared to be a general fooling among members of Parliament that the measure was a necessary one. Its chief aim was-, however, really to protect tlio Southern districts from the moth-infected fruit of the North, while the scale-infected produce of Southern orchards were to be permitted free access to all the Northern markets. The apple scale (Mytilasnis nomorum) was a post more to he dreaded than even the codlin moth, and was just as difficult to eradicate ; yet it was not included among the pests that the Bill sought jo suppress. The executive at once took active steps to oppose the Bill, and invoked tlio aid of the Auckland provincial members of the House of Representatives, and apparently as a result of till! determined attitude adopted by the Executive Committee, the Joint Stock Committee decided to afford an opportunity for fruitgrowers giving evidence before them upon the point at issue. The Joint Stock Committee being anxious to elicit the opinions of growers throughout the colony as to the merits or otherwise of the Bill, invited the union to send two delegates to Wellington to give evidence before a committee of tlio Legislature which had been set up to inquire and report thereon. Tlie delegates, Messrs. Johns and Sharp, in accordance with the expressed views of a conference of all the affiliated associations, not only condemned the measure while being examined before the committee, but strenuously strove to impress. upon members of the House the hurtful effects such a measure would have upon the whole fruit industry of tlio North, They also insisted that were such a measure passed, (he apple scale should he included in its schedule, and this the. committee recommend- | ed in it's report to the House. The Bill so altered did not appear so attractive to Southern people, and the executive noted that it was now (November 1) among tho Hills j dropped for this session. I Bulletins on Fruit Prospects: The utility | of this was fully recognised at tho late con- - ference, and this year timely preparations • had been made to secure full and complete . returns from the various districts, so that , growers may receive /lie full benefit which ; a fairly accurate estimate of tlie crops may , be expected will be secured to them. , Proposed Shipment of Apples: The exe- ; cutive regret that the proposal made by the - Agricultural Department, through Mr. Blackmore last year (while the conference was m session) to arrange for a shipment of apples from Auckland growers for the Home market -the Agricultural Department guaranteeing a minimum price of Id per lb-proved abortive, partly through the lack of a sufficient quantity of apples offer.ng but on account of the terms finally fixed by thei Department being entirely different to those offered in the first instance Those growers who at first were ready to bring forward a quantity refused to entertain the terms of- , f'cred, and thus nothing resulted. Insect Pests: The advisability of importin" into the colony the European bat and the Australian night-jars to prey upon noc- , turnal insect pests, has been considered and recommended by Captain Broun, Government entomologist. The kohlme.se, or German moth-eating bird, should also prove the fruitgrowers' friend were it introduced here and these matters should not be lost sight of by the incoming Executive. Several other mattere of detail were touched upon m the repo't. L 1 nnnTTVTS

3 he statement of accounts showed receipts £25 18s 6d, including £8 8s 6d I brojglifc forward last year, and the expendi-1 ture left a balance of 15s lld» • ; The report and accounts being duly moved and seconded, were thrown open for discussion, Mr. Hanlon speaking in opposition to the adoption of a standard fruit case, urging the desirability of the introduction of toads for the extermination of certain insect pests, and adversely criticising the legislation put forward by the Government in°the direction of precluding the importation of scale-infected oranges, while apples infected with a form of scale, and diseased pineapples were allowed to come into the country without any preventative measures being taken. • . , ~ Mr. Thompson spoke in favour of the starting of an experimental station in the

Auckland district, which he considered had been hung up owing to Departmental in-! competence. Several of the delegates spoke in compli- | mentary terms of the work done during the past year by. the executive, after which, the , report and accounts were adopted. I ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 1 The election of officers was then pro- | ceeded with, but before being carried out, 1 a representative of the Birkenhead Fruit-! growers' Association moved, " That the exe--1 cutive be elected direct by the associations, the representation to be in proportion to the membership of the society interested." ' After some discussion, an amendment to the' regulations to admit of members in isolated districts, where no society exists, electing a delegate to the conference, with full vot-1 ing powers, provided there are five members in the district, was adopted, and the motion lost. The officers were then elected as fol- i low: President, Mr. Wm. Johns; vicepresident, Mr. John G. Kay; executive i committee, E. W. Morrison, J. Pan-, S. A. j Brown, H. E. Sharp, h. Hanlon, Carl, W. E. Lippiatt, J. Oliye, Wilson, Flewellyn.

FINANCE. The question of the finances of the union was discussed at some length, the Chairman pointing out that a large amount of work was entailed upon the secretary, whose salary was totally inadequate for the labour involved, while on the other hand the amount received in subscriptions by _ the union was not nearly sufficient to meet the anticipated disbursements. It was ultimately decided that the secretary s salary be fixed at £20 per annum, the delegates to endeavour to increase the amount to £25, if funds permitted.

CO-OPERATION Mr. S. A. Brown read a paper on " Cooperation as an Ultimate Aim for Fruitgrowers," in the course of which he urged the desirability of co-operation among fruitgrowers. with the object of establishing one central distributing agency, where the fruit might be graded by the agent, and disposed of directly to the consumer. Tiffs bringing of the grower and the consumer into contact would, the paper pointed out, prove beneficial to both, as giving the grower a better price for his fruit than if it had to pass through the hands of middlemen, while the consumer would be able to purchase cheaper, thus making what was looked upon by many as a luxury a necessity, and increasing the demand for fruit. FItUIT SALES.

Several Auckland auctioneers interested in the sale nf fruit, met the conference in discussion on the question of (lie better arrangement of fruit sales. Mr. Kay (vicepresident of the Fruitgrowers' Association), introduced the business by pointing out the advantage that- would accrue if it were found possible to establish a central depot in Auckland for the sale of fruit, where the whole of the auctioneer concerned could dispose of the fruit sent them in rotation, thus bringing all intending puidiasers together, instead of allowing them to distribute themselves at the various auction rooms, as at present, Even if this could not be done at once, the auctioneers might arrange among themselves to hold their sales at their present rooms in rotation, Mr. Hall (salesman) urged upon the fruitgrowers the necessity of sending their produce to town in more marketable form, and of making efforts to bring about a reduction of railway freights, which lie considered exorbitant.' Mr! R.' Arthur stated that the auctioneers were moving in the direction of an auctioneers' association, which they hoped would become an established fact before long. If this was brought to a successful issue, the association would certainly make it its business to assist and protect the growers as fan as possible. Mr. Tooinan did not think it would be possible to bring the whole of the auctioneers in Auckland together, and suggested that the fruitgrowers should combine and place the whole of their fruit in the hands of two of the foremost auctioneering firms, for salo. These auctioneers could then see how it acted, with a view, if satisfactory, of opening a central depot where the two, or more, could seill. After several other salesmen had spoken, the auctioneers were thanked for their attendance, and the hope was expressed that a satisfactory arrangement would bo come to between the producers and salesmen.

The conference then adjourned until this morning.