N.Z. FRUIT EXPORTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18191, 12 September 1933, Page 7

N.Z. FRUIT EXPORTS

TRADING RELATIONS THE BRITISH MARKET LONDON, August 2. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. G. W. Forbes, and his co-delegates to the Economic Conference paid a visit last week to the London Fruit Exchange, where they saw the manner in which their country’s fruit exports are dealt with. They were the guests of J. and H. Goodwin. Limited, the, sole agients for the sale of New Zealand apples and pears in the United Kingdom. After inspecting the warehouses and showrooms, they spent half an hour in the saleroom. A luncheon followed in the board room.

Mr. 1 Robert Masters, Minister for Industry and Commerce in the New Zealand Government, said that New Zealand had recently been charged with sending subsidised produce to England. That was not correct, though in respect of apples the New-Zealand Government had given a guarantee to fruit-growers of a certain return per case. If that had not been done it would have been difficult for growers to set up in business and receive advances from the banks. The cost to the Government had been very small, because the fruit had brought a reasonable price. Having assisted to build up tlie industry the Government was now looking forward to the time when it could be relieved of that responsibility. New Zealanders, he added, did not like the idea of a quota applied to their produce. Their country was young and undergoing development. It had tremendous responsibilities regarding flic money borrowed for that development from England. If Britain was to have quotas they should he applied first to foreign goods. When he added that New Zealand, witli her population of only 1,500,000, purchased from Britain over £30,000,000 more manufactures in five years than Denmark. £50,000,000 more than Russia. £42.000,000 more than Japan, and £26.000,000 more than China, it would be realised that, the trading position of Britain and New Zealand should be given some recognition.