NIUE BANANAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21772, 11 October 1932, Page 12

NIUE BANANAS

TO THE EDITOR.

.Sir, —We have pleasure iu handing you another sample of Niue bananas, which we think, you. will find distinctive in flavour and quite up to the standard of what a choice banana should be. Since the advent of the Maui Pomare these bananas have been available to our customers in the South Island. There is now a possibility of the Maui Pomare being taken off this run. It seems to us that it would be a great pity if Samoa and Niue Island were to lose the service of this vessel, and the public of the South Island were to be deprived of securing a valuable fruit food at a reasonable price. It is quite possible, and we believe it is a fact, that the Maui Pomare, owing to the initial cost, and to faulty construction, has not proved a profitable investment, but the fact that she has been burdened with a heavy repair bill, and a construction cost of practically three times the amount at which a similar vessel could be purchased at to-day does not alter the other fact that her running expenses and the service she has given during the last 12 months have been all that could reasonably be expected. In the event of the Government deciding to take the vessel off the run, Samoan and Niue Island shippers will be at the mercy of speculators and shipping companies, and the withdrawal of the vessel will preclude any possibility of the South _ Island enjoying the facilities for securing reasonably cheap fruit, that we have had during the past two years. This point should uot.be lost sight of by our South Island members of Parliament.—We are, etc., Reillt’s Central Produce Mart, Ltd.

Dunedin, October 10. [The bananas forwarded to us were of large size, attractive colour, firm texture, and rich flavour/ —Ed. O.D.T.]