ISLAND FRUIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23019, 22 April 1938, Page 12

ISLAND FRUIT

I KAEOTONGA STRIKE J GROWERS' NON-CO-OP E RAT 10 N I COMMENT feY MINISTER [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday ; " I am certain there will be no more non-co-operation or Ghandi-ism in the Cook Islands," said the acting-Minister of the Cook Islands, the Hon. F. Langstone, referring to-night to the reported banana growers' strike at Karotpnga. Outlining arrangements which had been made for the shipment of fruit from the islands the Minister recalled that these had been arrived at after a conference in Wellington of representativ.es from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Nine and the Cook group. . "The arrangements were made on a generous basis and the Karotongans wero< to work in the same as growers in other islands," Mr. .Langstone continued. "When the Matua went down she was to take something more than 2000 cases at Karotonga. I was surprised to learn that only 700 or so were put on board. Other places were communicated with and they -were glad to avail themselves of the increase in .their quotas to make up this deficiency. This action has been detrimental, not for New Zealand, but for the Karotongans themselves*. Benefits Forfeited "Those who . were trying to indue# Karotongans not to ship fruit did not have tbo interests of the liarotongans at heart," said the Minister. "If these people think, they can harm the interests of New Zealand they are making a pretty big mistake. r l he growers at Karotonga are only part of the big marketing movement, and the sooner they realise that the better for them. If they refuse to co-operate and ship the quota allowed, others will make that up and get the benefits which should go to the Karotongans, but I think the trouble is ended now and we hope the next time the ship goes down the Karotongans will send all their quota of fruit." The Minister said the Cook Islands Department was interested as the Administrative Department in looking after the welfare of the Karotongans, which would be safeguarded up to the limit. "The more prosperous we can make the Karotongans the less they will have to.lean on New Zealand for annual contributions for health and education and other social facilities," Mr. Langstone said.

Assistance for Growers "Up to the present New Zealand lias had to find considerable sums each year to assist in the development of Ilarotonga. We sent to Jamaica and got ail expert, who is now in the territory, to teach them how to grow oranges and tropical fruits, and everything is being done in an intelligent way to help to develop the Rnrotongans in the industry of fruit culture. New Zealand is their only market and we are safeguarding that market in their interests. I 'Evidently some busybody down there, not knowing or understanding what was being done and the reason for it, told the natives some story, and for that shipment they did not cooperate to the extent to which we expected," the Minister said. "The Tongans were in the unfortunate position that in addition to the freight

rate 011 the cargo they had to pay a premium of £2OO to get the ship to call there, and this extra expense was borne by the growers. They would be very pleased to increase their trade with New Zealand even under those adverse conditions." SPEEDY DISTRIBUTION THE MINISTER'S THANKS [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday TIIO Minister of Marketing, the Hon. W. Nash, to-day expressed thanks to the Auckland watersiders, Railway Department, motor lorry contractors and the Union Steam Ship Company, whose efforts had made possible the speedy distribution of the shipment of bananas landed in Auckland this week. The distribution con-fc stituted something like a record, said the Minister, and was a remarkable demonstration of transport service.