JAPANESE ONIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23868, 24 July 1939, Page 9

JAPANESE ONIONS

ORDER PLACED MONTHS AGO THE BOYCOTT SUGGESTION AN ILLOGICAL ATTITUDE (Per United Press Association i WELLINGTON, July 22. The necessity for the importation of onions this year to ensure adequate supplies for consumers was explained by the director of Internal Marketing (Mr F. R. Picot) in a statement issued to-day. He said there seemed to be considerable misunderstanding about the position. Even the best-quality New Zealand onions would not keep right through the year, and it was essential to import onions at this time to meet the demand for what is looked upon as an essential winter foodstuff, and in some quarters as a medicinal standby. The local supplies usually lasted until July or August, and there was a gap between the end of the New Zealand season and the beginning of the supply from Canada and California, from which countries the bulk of New Zealand imports were drawn. On account of di'oughl and huge bush fifes in Australia in the early part of the year, the Victorian onion crop, which was generally a big one, was almost a complete failure, and shipments had been made from New Zealand to help to meet the Australian shortage It was therefore necessary to make early arrangements to meet the anticipated shortage between seasons. and many months ago, long before there was any tension between Japan and Great Britain, the Marketing Division made arrangements to import a small quantity of Japanese onions, which were the only suitable supply available at the right period. The position was that New Zealand had entered into a contract, and he was sure the average New Zealand citizen would not wish this country to be a party to a breach of any contract entered into in good faith, unless with the approval of both parties. It was therefore particularly desirable that wholesalers, retailers, and consumers should not take up the illogical position of refusing to handle these onions while they were at the same time selling or using many household articles produced in Japan, such as silk stockings, oak furniture, tinned salmon, cotton piece goods, and so on. to mention but a few.

For many years Chinese fruiterers had refused to handle Japanese goods, and their attitude had been entirely understood by the general public, but in the present case wholesalers and retailers would be doing a disservice to the community if they in any way held up the distribution of this important winter commodity, which, it should be clearly understood, had been for some time the property of the New Zealand Government.

Japanese onions were of excellent quality and food value, and should be in much demand by housewives during these extremely cold months of the year. ARRIVAL OF SHIPMENT (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 22. With 924 tons of Japanese onions from Kobe, the steamer Naniwa Maru arrived at Auckland to-day. She will unload the bulk of her cargo on Monday, and will leave early in the week with the balance for Wellington. The Chinese throughout New Zealand have refused to handle Japanese onions, and the Auckland Master Grocers’ Association has circularised all Auckland grocers urging a boycott.