SHIPPING FOR FRUIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17632, 19 November 1920, Page 6

SHIPPING FOR FRUIT.

GOVERNMENT AID SOUGHT. SOUTH AMERICAN MARKET. [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHTJECH. Thursday. The Minister for Agriculture, Hon. W. Nosworthy. was waited upon to-day by Mr. O. Longton, president, of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' . Federation', . who brought under the Minister's/notice a number of matters discussed at a recent meeting of the directors of -the federation regarding shipping space for the British Isles. Mr. Longton said the federation ha<| not been able to. get definite information as to -the amount of space that would bo available. Mr. Nosworthy said the Prime Minister and he were going into the question, and ho did not think. there would.be any difficulty in getting the space, required. Mr.- Longton stated that the. federation had been making arrangements with shippers ,of .wool, to . South America for the shipment of fruit by the same vessels, but a» the* result of the fall in the price of wooV and'the consequent storing of wool inV the Dominion, the arrangements bad fallen through. > It had ..been ascertained that the Shaw-Savifl .Company, which had put on one or two steamers to take stock to" South America, would not have** steamer available 'during the fruit season. Another route suggested was that provided by the trade between Calcutta and Valparaiso, which would be made available if the 'steamer from Calcutta, called at a New Zealand port for bunker coal. Mr. Noßworthy said the department would take the matter up" and make inquiries as- to arranging for tho Calcutta steamer to call at a New Zealand port. The question of-a supply of sugar during" the jam-making and'fruit-preserving season was mentioned bv Mr. Longton, who stated tnat the federation had sub nutted^ scheme for-the distribution of sugar which was now being considered bv the Board of Trade.'