AUSTRALIAN FRUIT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18087, 7 August 1936, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT

TRADE WITH DOMINION “TELE THE TRUTH” SYDNEY, July 25. A long discussion took place at the meeting of the executive of the Citrus Growers’ Defence Association, bold at Gosforci on Saturday, regarding the invitation from the Federal Department ol' Commerce to submit evidence to the committee appointed by the New Zealand Government to inquire into the New Zealand fruit and vegetable industry.

Mr. E. N-. Bilks, of Womberah, stated t hat growers were adamantly opposed to restriction of trade 'between the Do-' minion and the Commonwealth, , and plainly refused to accept blight or any other disease as an excuse for checking the interchange of desirable trade. The inquiry would probably be abortive as far as New South Wales citrus growers were concerned, as neither the Commonwealth Government nor the New Zealand Government was honest in its reasons for the respective embargoes. Mr. Bil ks-said it appeared to lie necessary in the interests of the consumers of both countries that someone should tell the truth, and New South Wales citrus growers were prepared to tell it, as they sought the New Zealand market for a good citrus pack. Dir. F. Bryant, of Mangrove Mountain, said that he considered the main object, of the inquiry was to pacify the New Zealand consumers, who had raised objections to Iho high cost of citrus fruits. It should lie pointed out that before the embargo citrus fruit was sold in New Zealand at the same price as in Sydney, plus freight. In the general discussion that followed, the opinion was freely expressed that the inquiry was a bogey, and that the real trouble was a matter of potatoes versus citrus fruits. It was resolved that the submission of evidence be left in the hands of the president and State secretary; that it be pointed out- that New South Wales is the cheapest, source of citrus fruit supply for New Zealand: and that Hie Australian growers have not dumped, and will not dump, citrus fruits in New Zealand to tin* detriment of the New Zealand fruitn’owers.