FRUIT AND CHEESE STORAGE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 224, 20 April 1933, Page 8

FRUIT AND CHEESE STORAGE

Wellington Charges

BOARD DECIDES UPON REDUCTION

Press Association. —Copyright

Wellington, April 15).—Reductions in its charges tor the cool storage of fruit and cheese were approved at a meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board to-night. The board had come to the decision after having carefully considered the position of the dairy farmer and the fruit grower, said the chairman, Mr. C. J. B. Nor mod, in an interview at the close of the meeting, and it felt it was its duty to extend the primary producers every possible facility within its power, having regard to sound finance. Cool storage rates hitherto for cheese were 4s Gel a ton for the first fortnight and 4s a ton for the second and subsequent fortnights. The new charges would be 4s 6d for the first fortnight, 3s 6d for the second, and for the third and succeeding fortnights 3s. This reduction though not large would m die aggregate be helpful to the cheese industry. The charges for the first fortnight included not only storage but also receiving, labour, delivery and cooling. Unfortunately, Mr. Norwood said, this amendment of the charges necessitated a change in the board s by-laws, and this meant it would not be possible to bring the new scale into operation before June 1 next. With regard to fruit Mr. Norwood said the charge for storage up to the present was 5d a case, including receiving, cooling and delivery, for the first fortnight and for the second and succeeding fortnights 3d a case. Under the concession granted the charges would bo: Storage for the first fortnight (including receiving, delivery and cooling) up to 300,000 cases per season, 4td a case; over 300,000 cases per season, 4d a case. For the second and succeeding fortnights the charge would bo 3d a case. Last season s supplies exceeded 500.000 cases, Mr. Norwood continued. It could therefore be seen that the concessions granted would be helpful in some measure to the fruit growers. The reductions so far as fiura was concerned would come into operation on May 1, 1933.