CASES FOR FRUIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20594, 19 June 1930, Page 12

CASES FOR FRUIT.

PURCHASE IN AMERICA;

ACTION BY FEDERATION.

REDUCING COST TO GROWERS

[BV TELECIItAFH.—OYVN COWIESrONDSNT.] NAPIER. Wednesday.

Tho statement that although Now Zealand fruit is rigidly excluded from tho United States of America New , Zealand bought last year from the United States nearly half tho number of fruit cases in which this season's export fruit is being sent abroad, was mado by Mr. T. C. Brash, president of tho Now Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation at a gathering of fruitgrowers in Hastings to-day. Iho chief reason for. this action, according to Mr. Brash, was that tho federation, by going to America for 450,000 cases was ablo to save tho growers somo money.

■' I do hate this idea of trading with tho United States," said ono of tho growors present at tho meeting. Ho added that rather than buy cases from tho United States lie would buy them from Germany for Germany certainly took a good deal of Now Zealand fruit. If tho Germans know Now Zealand growors wcro selling them fruit packed in American cases they might cease to take it. Thoro was no lovo lost, at least in trade, between Germans and Americans.

Mr. Brash, explaining tho federation's action, said it had boon faced with the prospect of a substantial increase in tho cost of fruit cases. Tho cost on tho bank draft was 6 per cent, as against 2 per cent, last year, and it was found that if cases wero bought in Seattle they would cost tho grower • only a farthing more than last year's price. "We did not liko ordering from tho States," Mr. Brash said, " but as wo were threatened with lower prices for our fruit wo felt wo ought to swallow our dislike." Tho federation • bought a quantity as large or larger from Canada, Mr. Brash added., Tho Canadian millowndrs from whom they were bought had had a steady order for some years. They evidently thought they had matters all their own way for last year they had sent out a good deal of shoddy material. It would not, therefore, do them any harm to roceive a rebuff. Tho federation was making inquiries about the desirability of buying cases from Sweden or Norway.