INTENDING SETTLERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17940, 20 May 1920, Page 5

INTENDING SETTLERS

INQUIRIES ABOUT NEW ZEALAND.

FRUIT PROSPECTS.

(Fkom Oub Own C'ohbespondent.) LONDON, March 11. Mr J. T. Horn (Wellington) is in London primarily with -regard to the possibilities of establishing a market here for New Zealand fruit—particularly apples and pears,— and he spends several hours daily at the High Commissioner's office, giving information generally about Now Zealand to those who are anxious for it. Tho advertisement about fruit-growing in New Zealand which Mr Horn inserted in the principal London papers seems to have caught the eyo of many very desirable' people, and it is these who. by appointment, are meeting him in London. Thpy are not necessarily all, however, intending to go into fruit-growing, but thoy arc desirous of getting up-to-date information regarding New Zealand conditions generally. There are- quite a number of military men, mostly officers, -who have inado up their minds to go out to tho dominion directly the necessary arrangements for assisted passages are made by the British Government. Mr Horn finds, too, that many inquiries are coming from professional people- and people with fixed incomes. It is curious, hovyever, that at the present time New Zealand is not particularly attractive to the working man in England (the trado unionist), because ho is getting such big wages here' that New Zealand cannot possibly offer him any inducement. As an instance, Mr Horn mentioned the case of a motor mechanic, a man quite of the artisan type, who thought that Jie would, like to go out to New Zealand and take up fruit farming, but who wanted to know what chance he would have of getting on with his special work while tho fruit trees were growing. When ho was told that ho would bo all right and would make at least 17s a day, ho said: " Oh! that's no good to me. I am now] getting 30s n. day and overtime." This man's income as a motor m'whan-ic approaches £600 a year. Mr Horn haa also met Mr H. L. Jones, a steel master with capital, well known in tho North of England. He proposes to settle in New Zealand, and is going to sail on March 20.

At the present timo Australasia is being helped in this way in comparison with Canada—in the latter country the rate of exchange is so much against Groat Britain thitt the pound is .worth only 15s,—and no intending settler can afford the prospect of losing 25 per cent, on his income. Aa for fruit, there is no question at all about the market here. All dessert apples to-dav aro fetching top control price, which is 6|d per Lb wholcpnlo and 9d per lb retail. Mr Horn says that any fruit shipped from New Zealand immediately to arrive in London up to tho end of April is practically certain to obtain the highest price. At present, lacking definite information as to shipment dates, he is not ablo to make any sales.