THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18089, 16 May 1933, Page 8

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY

AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION ’i h 1 ■ EFFECT ON ORCHAEDISTS The harm likely to he done to the Dominion fruit industry hy any uppreciaahle reduction in the duty on Australian canned fruit as a result of the recent trade restrictions is again stressed by Mr. F. M. Hills, at Auckland, in replying to statements hy ,\lr. AV. A. ]toucher. “Australia's tariff against New Zealand canned fruits is practically three times higher than that of ours against her,” said Mr. Hills, ‘‘yet Mr. Boucher would apparently like to reduce even that third, irrespective of the many hundreds of Dominion orchardists, etc., who would he put nut of business. Naturally, ho cannot, and does not attempt to, show how New Zealand would he better off without these primary and secondary industries. “Air. Boucher is reported to have stated.that manufacturing conditions are not dearer in New Zealand than in Australia. A cursory glance at his subject would have shown him that the manufacturers’ very first cost, namely, fruit, is altogether different from that in Australia. The chief reason why Australian fruit has cost less at their factories is because the growing and preserving has been very heavily and notoriously assisted by'their Government. The figures for the assistance by irrigation and low charges for water and land would run into millions of pounds, while direct loans to canneries at- low rates of interest would total many hundreds of thousands. .

“Mr. Boucher also appears to suggest that Dominion winners arrange their selling prices at about the level of those at which Australian fruits can be landed here, whereas prices of New Zealand canned fruits liav-i Invariably ranged about Is a dozen below those of Austra-, lian for equal grades. And if our commercial orchards and preserving works were wiped out, who is to say how long we should bo served with cheap fruit by the- Australian Control Board during the years that it would take to replant our own orchards and bring them into bearing