DUTY ON FRUIT TREES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6361, 8 November 1907, Page 9

DUTY ON FRUIT TREES.

.Mr Thos. Hnrlon, of Pahiatua. reor>l(lly tin* following letter to Utr. Minister of Customs Sir, — I. noth-o in tho course of your reply to the ilcpnl-at Lon from the Nnr-s"-v-Vm n’s and Sr*-dju'-iVs association of Si- w Zeal and, that, yon said you would bo willing to place a dutv on trees in> polled from Australia, if it could be sJi•>wa thul: this colony’s requirementr emild he supplied from within, or words to that effect. 11 desire, sir, to draw vour attention to tho fart that ppncttoaHv rvorv frail tree required for 'commercial orchard;;, and all shelter, timber and forest trees and hedge plants are now being grown by tho nurserymen of this colony. The only exceptions are c.'trus fruit tree--nmi black mulberries, These arc usually gremn in New South \Va>s for the . trade o ! this country, but nurricrymci; of tho northern part hope soon to he in. a position. to supply all requirements I have bwn at the nnreery work in this country for twenty-eight, years, the lal.ior part of that time in business' on my own account, end I have some idea of tho country’s nqui Foments, and liav(» spent tliou.Par.ds cf pounds in land and. la,hour for the production of trees .and plants suitably" for the requiro-meut-H of the country, and now find that Australian, cheap-grown trees are being sol'd all over the colony by travellers for Australian firms. They are selling rt price© we aro unable to touch, except nit a loss, and if this is allowed to wiitmue, then, what is now a thriving and important industry must be ruined, to this right? I think not. I have been to Australia, and have visited every nursery of iuiporto.nee, and what do T find? They buy land at 50s to ,£lO an acre, their men work ton hours a day for tho low wage of ss, and in tho Somerville district in Victoria many work for less than that. What are tho conditions hero? F nay fU for labourers on an average, Iho minimum being 7s, and 10? to 12s per day for gardeners with any exr.KMuenep. for a day of right hours. I have on,id .£OO to ,£OO per acre for my nursery' la ml, besides tho cost of stumping, clearing, fencing, etc. Many other nurserymen have had similar experiences.

I have b~m determined to fight for what T considered our rigid?, and to try and keep iho money m the country, t have employed experienced travellers in our lino at high wages, and these men have bwm all over Hie colony trying to prevent the business being lost to us, beeauso to lose it moons the wlthctoawing of a eerhdn amount from, cireulation in the cokmv. \ thought bv fighting Australia in’this way that they would get disheartened, and might withdraw; but, no sir, they have retaliated by cutting tho prices, and now aro soiling at a figure loss than it costs us to produce the stock.

Onlv three or four firms have hitherto exploited our colony, but now a largo company has been Formed, called the AiHtvalaalau Nursery Company, Limited, and they aro now determined to get a share of tho trade here, and I need hardly remark that th©y will do it by underselling us. I understand that thoir travellers a»o now hero, ready to start on a vigorous canvass, and if a duty to not put on fruit trees from Australia then, as I said before, wo cannot corapeto with them, and will, bo compelled to give up. Many of th© nurserymen here have spam! neither labour nor expense to grow sufficient numbers of tho leading commercial varieties of fruit trees for tho requirements of tho country, but we must got a paying price, and I a-ssur© you, sir, that tho price© catalogued by iNow Zealand firms aro very low and reasonable, and with the most careful management only allow a very small margin of profit. I may say, sir, that I am writing you this letter personally, feeling that if you only know those facto, you would do your very best to protect iib. We don't mind fair competition, and can meet our opponents at any time if they-wore compelled to cell ah tho same minimum prices. X have struggled and plodded on for years, working often sixteen and eighteen hours a clay to clear my ground, clear my stock, and try to get on, and now, when I seem to have got on my foot, and had hoped to ease off a bit, outside competition of an unequal (and, I think, unjust) nature conics along, and if not checked, then I am ruined, and I am only one of many engaged in this business. I employ about fifty men and six or eight travellers, and pay thousands of pounds every year for wages, thus assisting to circulate tho money in the colony. All this money will be diverted to Australia if something is not done soon. I would humbly ask you, sir, once again, to do your best to protect us, as I believe you will, and you will have the heartfelt thanks of thousands in . this colony, who are employed in the nursery business, or who are dependent on it as a means of sustaining their wives and families. —I am. Sir, _ , THOS. HORTON.