NEW ZEALAND FRUIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 16

NEW ZEALAND FRUIT.

ADVERTISING IN ENGLAND. It will be remembered that New Zealand shippers of apples at the beginning of the season were perturbed over the fact that blemished fruit was to be shipped from Australia and Tasmania to London, and the advisability of withdrawing from the joint advertising campaign was considered by shippers from the dominion The matter was finally left in the hands of Mr T. W. Attwood (president of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation), who is at present in London to watch the interests of New Zealand apple shippers and take charge of the New Zealand exhibit at the Empire Exhibition In the course of a letter dated London, April 7, which has been received by the Otago Provincial Fruitgrowers’ Council, Mr Attwood refers to this matter as follows: “We have arranged for the expenditure of £350 to cover the season, and are not taking part with any other colony. The question of Australasian advertising is still unsettled, so I have definitely withdrawn from the scheme altogether, and am making quite an effective effort for New Zealand fruit alone. The amount we are spending is rather more than what you have sanctioned, but the difference in value for the additional £SO was so very considerable that we felt justified in adopting the larger scheme, which includes posters on every one of the tube stations, and very handsome show cards for the first-class shop windows. In addition to these, we are preparing printed leaflets (about 100,000), part of which will be used through the ordinary channels of distribution, and the bulk at our stall at Wembley. There also 200 large bills 9ft x 6ft. with just “New Zealand Apples’" on them. These will be placed in the various brokers’ premises handling our fruit, and along the sides of the delivery lorries. It is intended to cover up the brokers’ names altogether, so that it is New Zealand fruit alone which appears, and no firms’ names at all.” From this and other advices to hand it would appear that every advantage will be taken to make the most of the unique opportunity offering to advertise dominion fruit during the Exhibition at Wembley Park. Another matter which has been under consideration is the question of booking orders for delivery of case lots of New Zealand apples to private consumers in England on the lines adopted by the Meat Board for lamb. Referring to this, Mr Attwood says:—“l have gone very thoroughly into this matter, and there are considerable difficulties at this end, the chief being that tlie charges (or costs) for delivery vary from Is, say, within a mile or two of market, to as much as 5s per case to the north of Scotland, and the charges on rail vary on an ascending scale at every 25 miles, and in order correctly to assess the charges it would mean finding out the exact , distance from London of every prospective customer. I suggest the only practical way of dealing with the problem is by selling ex market ‘carriage forward.’ I intend to adopt this method with case lot orders taken at the Exhibition.” It will be seen that it would be difficult to quote a set rate to residents in New Zealand who wished to have a case sent to friends or relatives in England, but on the other hand the suggestion for “carriage payable forward” may not meet with a general approval, as naturally one making a present does not desire to make the recipient pay carriage. This matter will bo gone into, and it is hoped to have some workable scheme for next season. Rumours of increased dock charges have been hoard owing to the increases in th° dockers’ wages. These increases have evidently come about in spite of vigorous protests and deputations, notification has been received of an increase of 2d per case in dock charges on apples. Just how far this will be passed on by brokers is not known, but it is the intention of one firm to try the experiment of lightering up to London from the ship’s side. More will probably be heard of this subject. Speaking of the Exhibition, Mr Attwood says: —“Things are progressing again fairly well after the threatened hold-up. The strikes have been a proper nuisance. A selling stall has been set up as part of the fruit exhibit in the New Zealand court, and £2O to £3O worth of apples in small lots were being sold each day in the early stages of the opening, with sales increas-

inf; each day. Mr Attwood has indicated that he will be staging and selling Otago apples almost exclusively towards the end of the season, as the apples from the North will be done. In this connection it is hoped to have the display placarded as Otagogrown fruit. Speaking of prices. Mr Attwood says:— l think our prices for good stuff outside Oox s will be between 14s and 16s. I know of some merchants who have refused to handle Tasmanian this season, and all are reluctant about uniting up much in the way of advances. We are taking steps to advertise New Zealand fruit separately, and I think there will be a good demand for New Zealand fruit. This is the general opinion among men who know most about the game.' 5 At the moment Otago shippers are anxiously awaiting prices for the Hororata smmnent. and it will be interesting to observe how near Mr Attwood is in his forecast.