NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2501, 19 February 1902, Page 17

NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN GRAPES.

In September last a conference of Ministers of Agriculture was held in Melbourne (says an Adelaide exchange), and among th? resolutions adopted at its sitting was the following, dealing" with the prohibition m New Zealand in respect of grapes from thc^ustralian States — •• That this conference asks the New Zealand Government to give favourable consideration to the question of admitting grapes from Australia tinder proper conditions. As it is known that phylloxera vastatrix cannot- be introduced by means of the fruit of the vine-, it is the wish of this conference that the New .Zealand Government be asked to admit grapes from Australia under similar conditions to those adopted 'in ""European countries, where the_ interchange, of grapes is^ permitted." In a letter, writle"n by the Premier -of Victoria to. the head of the Government in^South AustwHia, Mr Peacock states that in accordance with the resolution, and at the request of the Minfsler of Agr.culture of Victoria, he furnished the Premier of New Zealand with a copy of the decision Of the conference, and expressed h ; s hope that the wishes of the Ministers of Agriculture in conference m tbe matter might receive favourable consideration. Accompanyir^ Mr Peacock's comtnumcatio'i to the cmier in Adelaide was a copy of Mr Sedcon's reply, which in effect stated that after carefully considering the matter his Government regretted being unable to at present take any action in the direction indicated. Mr Butler, the Act-, ing Premier, has decided to write direct to the New Zealand Premier asking for a reconsideration of the decision, having in view the fact that South Australia is entirely free from vine disease, and that existing legislation is sufficient to cope with any outbreak.