CITRUS FRUITS

Southland Times, Issue 23178, 20 April 1937, Page 9

CITRUS FRUITS

To The Editor Sir,—lt was indeed very gratifying to read your leader in The Southland Times on Saturday regarding the scarcity and atrocious price of citrus fruits and the criminal apathy of the Government in regard to them. It makes one question, and seriously reflect, whether the Government of New Zealand is sincere in its profession of having the welfare of the New Zealand public at heart; it really seems that fi.s.d. in the State coffers has been thought more desirable than the health and welfare of the community. I used the words criminal apathy with due consideration. Lemons and oranges are a strong fortifier of the human system to resist epidemic disease, to say nothing of building the bone and tissue of growing children. To babies they are an absolute necessity. So what can the Government be thinking of when it will do pothing to make citrus fruits available to all classes of the community at reasonable prices? It is not a question of potatoes versus oranges, but the health and well being of babies, children, and adults who are citizens of this country. Australia has abundance of oranges for export and Norfolk islanders are in sore straits for want of a market for their fruit. There is a large number of the New Zealand public who are more interested in the price of citrus fruits than perhaps the Government realizes, and they all have votes. —Yours, etc., CITRUS. April 19, 1937.