EXPORTATION OF FRUIT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18347, 10 September 1921, Page 10

EXPORTATION OF FRUIT.

TP THK F.DITOB. Sib, —We rotico a paragraph which states that a movement is afoot to arrange for a big shipment of apples from Otago to England in the coming season. Two years ago we endeavoured to get suitable apples promised! by Otago growers for a trial shipment, but met with no success, and as we wished to ship apples we had to secure supplies from Nelson. The results of our consignment were highly satisfactory. Now, previous to last season’s supply being available, we wrote to the Prime Minister asking him whether, in tire ©vent of our firm giving a guarantee to load 10,000 cases of apples at Port Chalmers or Dunedin, one of the vessels due to load at Wellington would be allowed to accept our shipment of apples from Otago ports. Unfortunately it was not possible to make this arrangement, and therefore we had again to ship our apples from Wellington. The Athenic, which carried our last shipment—some 4000 cases —made a. record passage, and gave us very much better returns than the apples carried by the Herorata, which sailed some weeks earlier. The prices realised on London market for the Athenio shipment were as follow:—Jonathans averaged 21s od per case; Munroes, 25s 8cl; Cox’s Orange Pippins. 21s 4d; Statesman, 27s lid; Stunners, 2Ss lid. One would gather from the above that the best apple to ship is the Stunner, but we very much doubt if the Stunner could! be shipped as successfully as either the Jonathan or Munroe's Favourite. In fact, wc consider these two apples the best shipping varieties at the moment for the London' market. Further, we think that quite a quantity of reallv good shipping apples is available, and tlmt it behoves Otago Central growers to give those interesting themselves in the movement every encouragement. Those having good apples— Cox’s, Jonathans, Munroes, Cleopatras, Nonpareils, Esopua, Pearmains. Russets, London Pippins, Alfristons, or Early Sturmers — should certainly endeavour io send away their full quota by the first shipment from Otago, anples ranging in size from 2iin to 3in being the most suitable size to ship. At the moment our Nelson agent states he is ready to make contracts for next year's shipments commencing in February, and awaits our authority to get busy. Therefore wo hope our Central fruitgrowers will see the proposal to ship from Otago will not fail for lack of their support.—We are, etc., Reilly's Central Produce Mart, Ltd., E'. Oswald Reilly, Managing Director. Dunecllin, September 9.

, WORLD UNREST. TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —The cables in this morning’s Daily Times moke sad reading. When it waa thought the world had so progressed that it was a good place to live in, we find it is just the opposite. Professor Pringle makes much of the League of Nations, but why should wo expect to do better in the future than in the past? History records hundreds of permanent peace treaties. At one time even a peace hall was built. One has been erected in our day at The Hague, and ever since there has been more war than for years prior. Much is written about peace between capital and labour that will never be, because their interests are diametrically opposed. The basic plan for man is that each should be a capitalist and labourer in one, but men have concluded that they can do better, and the result is the present state of affairs. One result of modern life is that the ■ mass should bo “ well off ” —to use a common nhraae, —but that cannot be. Any thoughtful person knows that were all the money-wealth divided to the people they would be comparatively poor. The great war has almost ruined most of the Western European nations and Russia, and the burden to be borne is so great that the breaking point is near at hand. Labour demands high wages to pay a high cost of living. That only defeats its own objective. Of this there are many signs now. Tho value of manufactured goods is determined, not by the cost to produce but by the financial ability of the purchasing nations, and when several notions arc competing for world trade they are trying to make a living off the poorer which in the meantime are unable to manufacture for themselves, and as they cannot afford to pay high prices dull trade is the outcome. If the manufacturing nations think they can live off the others they will find themselves greatly mistaken. The British labourer never thinks that tin payment of high wages to him means high cost to his fellow creatures. Over-production is bound to come, as it did before the war, and cause unemployment. We in this dominion are faced with a grave danger through the high cost of transporting onr wool, meat, etc., to the United Kingdom. The high cost of running steamers caused high freights to such an extent that we may be unable to export. Your telegrams to-day state that the Union Steam Ship Company I>as 20 steamers laid up in New Zealand. Why 9 Because it will not pay them to run them. The people must learn to want loss and take less, nr ruin will overtake both labour and capital, but the risk,is, as mentioned to-day in one of your cables, that tho facta will not he faced till bloodshed necessitates their acceptance.

After all things must rest on a moral and spiritual basis, as stated by the highest authority in the words: ‘‘Love the Lord thy God with all thy > heart and mind and soul, and thy neighbour as thyself.” Whilst that is ignored there cannot be “ peace."—l am, etc., Britisher.

[Our correspondent is unduly pessimistic.— Ed. O.D.T.]