THE FRUIT REGULATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13583, 12 September 1908, Page 6

THE FRUIT REGULATIONS.

A CONCESSION GRANTED.

HAUROTO'S CARGO TO BE / ADMITTED.

i The intimation was conveyed to importi ers of Island fruit yesterday that the ; Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. R. McNab) had reconsidered his refusal to suspend the fruit regulations to permit ; the cargo due here by the Hauroto next week to be landed, and he had issued i instructions for the fruit to bo inspected in the usual way, no certificates regarding i "the milo limit" to be called for. This is- regarded as most satisfactory j by the importers, and they are hopeful ; of being able to convince the Minister, after the conference fixed for September ; 22, that the regulations are unreasonable and unworkable. As there is some con- ■ fusion of issues amongst the general public in regard to this matter it may be stated that the importers are not objecting to careful and strict precautions being taken against the importation of the fruit fly to New Zealand but to the particular method which the fruit division of the Agricultural Department is adopting; and the importers say that had the regulations now in force came before Parliament they would never have been allowed, on the ground that they are unreasonable and unworkable. They contend that certificates setting out that the fruit came from trees a mile away from any fruit fly infested area cannot be supplied from any of the (South Sea Islands, because the natives bring the fruit from all sorts of scattered places, and it is impossible for the shipper to know where it comes from. They further say that if some method of fumigation, and the strictest inspection were adopted they would have, no objecton whatever to offer, although they believe that the Queensland fly is the only fruit fly in the islands, and that it will not breed here. THE TOFUA'S CARGO. The s.s. Tofua yesterday landed 6120 cases and 204 bunches of green bananas, and 70 cases of oranges. On being asked the reason lor the small consignment of oranges, Mr. Turner, of Turner and Sons, said the Island shippers were not going to take the risk of sending oranges, to Mew Zealand. Shipments at this time of the year had previously totalled 12,000 to 16,000 cases of oranges and more, and the fruit was then sold at 3s 6d to 4s a case in Auckland, as against 12s now. There was going to be a shortage in the orange market, and the public, of course, would pay the piper. The decreased shipments meant corresponding decrease in exports of provisions and goods from Auckland. The bananas just landed from the Tofua were all in an absolutely green state, and no fruit fly would attack green and unripe fruit, yet the Department was going to ask for certificates in the case of bananas as well as oranges. Speaking as a grower," Mr. Turner •went on to say, "I have 24 acres of orchard at the Huia, and more capital sunk in the fruit growing business here than in the importing business, but I am not- the least afraid of the fruit fly from the Islands, because I am convinced it will not live here. People, who have an acre or two of orchard are making a great fuss, but those who really understand the position know . that there is no danger. Reference has been made to the codlin moth, but that is a totally different thing, for the codlin moth will stand 25 degrees of frost, whereas the fruit fly is a tropical insect, and cannot stand this climate. Twenty-four years ago I supplied Messrs. Hay and Sons, and Mr. Palmer, now a Government inspector, with tons of oranges infected by the maggot of the fruit fly, for seed for stock, on which to graft lemons, and I have used the same sort of infected fruit in my orchard. I grow oranges and lemons, and yet there has never been a single specimen of the citrus or other fruits infected. If the attitude of the Department were correct all the orange orchards at Whangarei and everywhere else would have been rotten with the fly years and years ago." SUPPORT FROM WELLINGTON. [by telegraph.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The Wellington Fruit Brokers' Association held a meeting to-day to discuss their attitude in connection with the agitation of the Auekland brokers in connection with the new regulation respecting importations of Island fruit. The meeting was not open to the press, but it is understood that members generally, though not entirely in accord with the position taken up by the Auckland brokers, expressed themselves as willing to give the Northern merchants a certain amount of support. It was agreed to meet the Auckland delegates in Wellington on September 22, and join them in a deputation to the Minister for Agriculture. Messrs. Bristow, Thomson, Brown, and Townsend were appointed to represent the Wellington association on that occasion. THE MINISTER'S ATTITUDE. SUFFICIENT NOTICE GIVEN. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The Minister for Agriculture (Hon.' R. McNab), on being seen by the Herald representative to-day in regard to the representations made by the Auckland *r»itbrokers, said that he had nothing to say beypnd that the regulation in regard to the fruit fly woul-d be enforced. . "What about the steamer that is expected at Auckland next week without certificates V he was asked. •

" If there are no certificates," the Minister replied, u I am not responsible." Fruit, ho said, had previously arrived at Auckland with certificates, and he considered that sufficient notice had been given of the regulation. I _ The Minister was also questioned regarding the statement made at Auckland by Mr. Howarth, to the »ff*ct that the regulations could not be enforced in respect, of fruit from the Cook Islands. "The Anckland people are coming down in a few days, and I am not going to sudplv information in advance," was the only reply that the Minister was inclined to vouchsafe. [The Minister evidently changed his mind later in the day. in view of the information received by the Auckland importers.] A TONGAN VIEWLETTER PROM BRITISH RESIDENT Mr Hamilton Hunter, British Evident and Deputy Commissioner at Tonga, has written to Mr G. Kronfeld on thVmS? ter of the regulations, and Mr. Kronfeld who arrived from Tonga by the s.s. Tofua yesterday, has handed the letter to a ST representative for publication. j Mr. Hamilton Hunter writes as' follows | I have received a letter from one of the principal importers of island fruit in NewaftiW" g , ,M , the certificate, £ quired by the New Zealand Government to accompany consignments of Ananas and oranges. With regard to banana??h?S pS is th»on.v person who feto sign' the XfiT cat* that "no Bpecies of fruit fly i 6 fTO; orchard"" A within ° M Mil « *?ZS ! orchard. As y« Rra aware nearly all '«« bananas shipped from her. ari grown bv th t country, hence it is i»p« M ibie for any e W per to know th. «aet lomHty in whfohS certificate Would 1 th V^ uir<sd certify that the bananas wor. *$£& green and 'in good condition*- 4n. P cannot be mnch daWar Zf *vl t -i. J h *T° green and sound tar With reS S3t shippe:, is aC KS-Tbaf-W-* 0^6 of fruit fly is knownSj If 110 •.«P.«»ejs of the orchard *« 8 S onem!le to have been%7own» BU t f fff « Rifled there are no'E-J?'-™ fi'st place , ovon if there w«eS L \ n , s P c ° tor f. and, required. certificS «!V£ 6 se* *"* not a sinele arav a of « PP 'A* there is the whole groSrtha i, o^« e % thro «ghout or less .with fruit fiS- 'r 0 / 60 »<H seems that {{ , th*. ««.«„?■ "', t "before, persisted in, it : 'w3l^ ? KW ß^ r° n i ar « ! -port to which oran tv fefei W^ a I (( th» Friendly $frn!te bo dipped from