NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22053, 8 September 1933, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND FRUIT

MR FORBES VISITS SPITALFIELDS AN EXPERT SALESMAN 9000 CASES IN 30 MINUTES. (From Otjr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 27. Mr 6. W. Forbes (Prime Minister), Mr R. Masters (Minister of Education), the High Commissioner (Sir Thomas Wilford), and Dr R. M. Campbell (technical adviser to the delegation) visited the London Fruit Exchange, Spitalfields Market, yesterday, at the invitation of Messrs Goodwin Simons, (London), Ltd., who, with the parent firm, Messrs J. and H. Goodwin, are responsible for the sale of New Zealand fruit in Great Britain. The time of their visit Was arranged so that they could attend a sale by auction conducted by Mr Ernest I. Simons, chairman of the London company, and one of the most expert salesmen in the country. A half-hour was allotted to the company, and during that time 9000 cases of New Zealand and Tasmanian apples were disposed of. There was a full attendance of buyers, and the Prime Minister and his colleagues had the best possible demonstration of the expert despatch with which the sales are conducted. Without a catalogue the auctioneer's continuous stream of figures is quite unintelligible to the layman, but it is obvious that he never misses .a sign from the buyers, and if he should there are two or three departmental clerks on each side of him to draw his attention to the silent bid. One rap of the hammer indicates that one lot is sold. Two or three rapid raps indicate that two or three similar lots are sold to a single buyer, or two or three slower raps indicate that each similar lot is sold to different buyers. It is all very bewildering at first, and the speed of the sale shows that buyers have already made up their minds as to the lots they intend to purchase. Eight hundred cases of New Zealand Granny Smiths were sold at from 10s 0d to 15s; 500 Doughertys at 10s to lis 9d; 200 Stunners at 9s to 9s 6d; IGO Tasmas at 9s 6d; and 100 cases of Rome Beauty at 9s, making a total of 1760 packages. A larger quantity of Tasmanian apples followed, and it was interesting to note that Tasmanian Stunners sold at 5s 6d, as compared with the New Zealand Stur-. mers at 9s Gd. THE SAMPLE ROOMS. Subsequently the party were conducted round the sample rooms, and it was then evident why there was such a disparity of prices between the two Stunners. The New Zealand pack looked most attractive, carefully packed and graded, and as it happened in the finest condition, while the Tasmanian fruit seemed to be somewhat roughly packed in unattractive cases. The quality of the fruit, of course, may have had something to do with the lower price, quite apart from the pack. Mr Forbes inspected a very fine array of Granny Smiths which seems to have become a very popular apple in conjunction with Doughertys, Tasmas were also represented. This apple is more popular outside London than in London, while Rome Beauty, more attractive in appearance than in taste, is not so popular. New Zealand pears, of which there was a good display, have been selling at 4s a tray and up to as much as 14s Gd for the bushel case.

Messrs Goodwin Simons entertained the party at luncheon in their fine board room. Unfortunately, Mr Forbes had to keep another luncheon engagement, so was not able to bo present. The chair was taken by Mr Henry Goodwin, and besides the New Zealanders there were present:— Sir J. E. Kynaston Studd (who opened the London Fruit Exchange when he was Lord Mayor), Sir Charles A. Batho (another ex-Lord Mayor of London), Mr Charles Goodwin, Mr E. I. Simons, Mr H. T. Mackie (directors of the company), Mr L. E. Martin (chairman of the Central Markets Committee), and about 20 other guests connected with the firm or the fruit trade, including Mr H. Turner (London manager of the New Zealand Fruit Board). PUBLIC AUCTIONS.

After welcoming the guests, the chairman (Mr Henry Goodwin) said that there were two ways of disposing of fruit. He had 59 years' experience of both public auctions and of private treaty, and he claimed that for expeditious handling and cleanly methods there was nothing to equal the public auction. Expedition and speed were never so essential as they were to-day, with the multitudinous supplies from the whole world. If the supplies of fruit we had to-day were available 25 years ago they would not have been able to give it away. That, lie thought, spoke volumes for the mfethods now employed. His firm felt they were responsible for bringing to London the methods of the North of England.

Sir Kynaston Studd said he was delighted to be present to meet the New Zealand guests, especially as the visiting cricketers had had such a pleasant time in New Zealand. He hoped the trade between the Dominion and the Home Country would increase. Mr Masters said they had learned that morning more about the way their fruit was handled than they could by any amount of correspondence. The personal touch that they had made with those connected with the fruit business would be most helpful to them for years to come. The generous hospitality which had been extended to thenr ever since they came to London had been very hard to keep up with—very much harder than the conferences.

With regard to the fruit business, with the vast experience of Messrs Goodwin Simons had in selling fruit, Mr Masters would be prepared to take their opinion as to the best manner of disposing of our produce. It was particularly pleasant to listen to the bids that were made, because there were other bids as low as 5s and is 6d, and he felt very sorry in-

deed for the poor fellows who were sending their fruit over here. It wag pleasant to see that the New Zealand organisation —the Fruit Control Board—was appreciated here, and that it was having a very definite effect upon the prices we were getting for our produce. GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE.

There had been a good deal of criticism regarding Government subsidies. Had it not been for the New Zealand Government guaranteeing prices it would have been very difficult to have established the export fruit business. With the Government guarantee the producers were able to get the necessary assistance from the banks, and the growers could work with the confidence that they would get a reasonable price for their produce. He could assure them that the Government would be glad to be relieved of the responsibility of that subsidy, but it had been the means to a very large extent of building up the fruit industry in New Zealand.

Mr Masters went on to speak of the quota suggestion. "We in New Zealand," he said, "do not like the idea of the_ quota. _We are a young country, right in the middle of our development, with tremendous financial responsibilities —interest on money borrowed from Great Britain. Reduction of our output would seriously affect our ability to meet our obligations in this country- New Zealand felt, that if Great Britain had to reduce her imports the restrictions should be placed on foreign trade first. He concluded by giving some illuminating trade figures, showing the Dominion's claim to consideration as compared with that of foreign countries. Mr Turner said that New Zealand fruit had retained a premium of Is to 2s per case on other fruit in all circumstances. That was the result of an insistent endeavour to give the consumers what they wanted. He wished to pay tribute to what the New Zealand Government had done in enabling them not only to standardise their fruit, but to carry through a system of marketing which they believed was just as helpful to progress at this end as it was to the growers themselves.

Mr Simons mentioned the prices at which he had sold the New Zealand fruit that day. Although they were not good, they represented a substantial increase in the value of the fruit. It looked as if their policv of operation was going to justify itself. Mr Simons thanked the New Zealand visitors for accepting the company's invitation. He wanted them to feel that the company were their real friends, aud not merely their brokers.