ITALIAN LEMONS

Southland Times, Issue 19898, 17 June 1926, Page 8

ITALIAN LEMONS

“BECOMING A MENACE” PROPOSED TARIFF WALL GOVERNMENT UNLIKELY TO ACT. (Special to the Times.) Wellington, June 16. Despite the strong representations of Auckland growers it is considered unlikely that the Government will take any steps ’ to erect a tariff wall against Italian lemons. Recently the Auckland Citrus Fruit Growers’ Association expressed its opinion that the Italian lemons were becoming a menace to the New Zealand industry and it was stated that the imported lemon had been responsible for a fall in the prices paid for Dominion lemons this year. To-day Mr J. A. Campbell, Director of Horticulture, gave his opinion that it was improbable that the department would recommend the Government to act in the ‘matter. While admitting that what is done will largely depend on the decision of the Dominion Fruitgrowers’ Conference, which will meet in'Wellington at the end of i the month, Mr Campbell gave his opinion that it was almost impossible for New Zealand lemons to compete with the imported article and that since freight charges made it out of the question for Auckland lemons to be serious rivals of the foreign fruit. In the South Island, for instance, it would not be fair to the consumer to give local lemoas protection. There was always a point where protection became an imposition and where j the consumer would not stand it. The New Zealand climate was not eminently suited to lemon-growing. It was too damp and the Government would have- to think twice before it granted protection to an exotic industry which might never take root and become really healthy. Various statements having been made as to the length of time . which New Zealand and Italian lemons will | keep, the Department of Horticulture is now , making experiments with both to discover the average time which they will remain sound.