A VIGOROUS PROTEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 10

A VIGOROUS PROTEST.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND, January 30,

Writing to the press on the subject 01 the protest of local fruit an.d grapegrowers "against the introduction of Australian grapes, Mr William Johns, who presided over the meeting which entered the protest, say 3 the latter was not against the importation of the fruit itself,, although growers of grapes under glass, who weT© encouraged by the Government to embark in the industry, have grave cause of complaint, but it is the_ dread of the Mediterranean fruit fly being introduced with the grapes, as its introduction would render our orchards and vines utterly valueless. Wo have now in New Zealand, he adds, 30,000 acres under orchards and vineyards, the gross annual \yalue of their products being about a million sterling. When it is considered that this is in a great measure derived from lands otherwise unsuitable for ordinary agricultural or pastoral purposes, and that it gives employment to some 6000 growers, who with their families cannot number less than 20,000 persons, it will, I think, be considered that it ie an industry worth fostering. Yet what do we find? While the importers and consumers, not the fruitgrowers, have introduced the codlin moth and other pests, causing tens of thousands of pounds of loss to growers, these latter poor wretched people have to bear the cost of the pests' depredations and suppression ; and now, not content with this grievous injury, consumers still clamour, apparently successfully, to introduce from the fly-infested districts of Australia " cheap grapes," the rigid inspection of which against the introduction of the dreaded fly is physically impossible. When this fly once effects a lodgment in our orchards or vineyards then bood-bye to all hope of successful cultivation of fruit, eince all previously-imported pests, bad as they arc, fall into insignificance compared with this one. Apart from the quality of the proposed grape importation, the growers cannot sec why they should be compelled to supply consumers with cheap fruit any more than that consumers should supply growers with cheap boots, cheap clothing, and cheap vehicles to caj-ry their fruit to market. The real question that confronts ye is whether it ie wise to imperil our own fruit industry, now fast growing into a great and national one, by drawing a email measure of supplies from pestetricken countries to the jeopardy of our own orchards and vineyards and the great danger of the utter ruin of the hardy settlers who cultivate them?

REPLY BY THE PRIME MINISTER. AUCKLAND, January 31. Sir Joseph Ward says he has come to Auckland prepared to face angry grapegrowers, but the Government, in deciding to remove the restrictions on Australian grapes, had considered the question from the view of the people. Those belonging to the middle classes could not afford to pay Is 3d per lb for grapes. It was simply making a luxury of what should be a fairly common article of diet. My sympathies naturally go out to the grape-growers, e&id the Prime Minister to a press representative this morning, but it is not desirable to luyve a fruit diet restricted to the use of a few who can afford to pay fancy price«. Ihe Auckland vignorons claim that the Ooiernment first induced them to go in for viticulture and now witidraws its support <it the most critical period. " That is nonsense," replied the Prime Minister. "As far as I know, the Government, in placing an embargo on the Australian importations, did so solely with a view to preventing the introduction of phylloxera. Now we have formulated ascheme by which wo hope to successfully keep out tho introduction of fruit from infected areas. If we find the regulations are disregarded, we will take drastic steps and prohibit the importation ot grapes from any part of the Commoi\wealth where a breach of the rules regarding phylloxc-ia infected areas has been discovered, bt t m the past there have been thousand 1-*1 -* cf people who want grapes for diet ptti - poses and have been unable to procure

them On account of the prohibitive prieew By the removal of the restriction on Australian importations cheap grapes will now: be within the reach of everybody."