FRUITGROWING INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3612, 5 June 1923, Page 19

FRUITGROWING INDUSTRY

SUGGESTED BOARD OF CONTROL. NELSON, May 28. The provincial conference of fruitgrowers on Saturday passed resolutions asking the Government to set up a committee of business men to inquire into the fruit crisis in the industry, the cause of the same, and lUe eiiect on both growers and the dominion generally, and whether or not it was advisable, in order to stabilise export, to give State aid by a guarantee equivalent to the cost of production for three years, commencing l9to; also urging the Government to pass the necessary legislation to set up a fruit control board. A motion was adopted favouring the voluntary system of standardisation of fruit. MR T. W. ATT WOOD IN ENGLAND. LONDON, April 13Mr T. W. Attwood, president and managing director of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers' Federation, has been engaged during the past few weeks in interviewing the representatives of the most important machinery manufacturers and chemical companies, with the view of interesting them in the orchardists’ requirements in New Zealand and incidentally in Australia. “They are very anxious in every case,” says Mr Attwood, “to do everything that can be done to develop the trade. I expect that conditions are very much the eame in Australia, and I have been urging implement manufacturers to send an expert engineer to Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand for the purpose of finding out exactly what is wanted in the shape of orchard implements. Such a man would easily be able to appreciate the possibilities of the overseas markets and would come back prepared to recommend to the various manufacturers exactly wbat we required. The tour, lasting a year or 15 months, would cost less than £2900, and would be well worth while if they sent the right man. He could get suggestions from the users cf the machinery what in their opinion was the best, and where improvements could be made in the English manufactures.

“Fruitgrowers in Australia and New Zealand,” added Mr Attwood, “is going to be a very big thing and ifc behoves the manufacturers here, who have never so far studied the question, to find out exactly what the requirements are, and then they' would certainly recapture the trade which is going to America.”

Last week Mr Attwood gave a lecture with lantern slides at Plum-stead. The subject was “New Zealand,” with special reference, of course, to the fruitgrowing industry, lie is lecturing at Lee, Woolwich, and in Essex next week, and towards the end of the month at Cardiff and Milford Haven. He will be visiting all the principal ports j u the Kingdom, and he is also hoping to got over to Brussels, where there are certain people who are anxious to open business in fruit with the dominion.