IMPORTED ONIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1028, 19 July 1930, Page 11

IMPORTED ONIONS

N.Z. GROWERS ASK FOR PROTECTION EXPORTS FROM U.S. AND JAPAN THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Today. Asking for a protective tariff against the importation of onions from America and Japan a deputation of Auckland and Christchurch onion growers waited on the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W Forbes, last evening. The Prime Minister promised to consider the request and said he would like to see the New Zealand product supplying the market, as long as possible each year. Mr. J. N. Massey (Reform —Franklin) introduced the deputation and said New Zealand growers had been handicapped because of unsatisfactory prices., Huge quantities of onions had been dumped on the markets before the New Zealand season opened and greater protection was desired. In the Pukekohe district a number of growers had ploughed in their crops rather than- harvest them and in other cases ridiculous prices like £2 10s and £3 a ton had been received. The cost of production was about £6 a -ton. Mr. G. T. Parvin, of Pukekohe, said the quantity of onions from Australia and Canada had fallen off during the period from 1927 to 1929, but the imports from Japan and the United States had greatly increased. In 1927 the amount imported from Japan and the United States was CIO tons, valued at £5.752. but last year the amount was 2,294 tons, valued at £22,279. The United States had closed its doors against New Zealand wool, butter, meat and other products and the duty on onions was £9 a ton against New Zealand and Australia. The trouble was caused by merchants importing under forward delivery arrangements and although local onions were equal in quality to those imported and were much cheaper they could not be disposed of. DUTIES SUGGESTED

The deputation suggested that while the price of New Zealand onions was not above £8 no imports should be allowed. After the price of New Zealand onions exceeded £8 Canadian and Australian should be allowed in at a duty of £1 a ton. On American onions it was suggested that the duty should bo £9 a ton, similar to that against New Zealand onions imported into America. The Australian duty on Japanese onions was £6 a ton and New Zealand should raise the present duty of £f against Japan to the Australian level as New Zealand was negotiating a reciprocal treaty with Australia. It was opportune to discuss with Australia the application of a similar duty against American onions. “Would you be able to keep the New Zealand markets supplied all the year round?” asked the Prime Minister. Mr. Parvin felt they could do that If protection were obtained. The farmers could go in for a larger acreage and arrange for cool storage accommodation. CANTERBURY DIFFICULTIES Mr. D. Good, of Marshlands, Christchurch, emphasised the difficulties of the Canterbury growers. Twenty years ago Canterbury Was virtually the only onion-growing district in the Dominion, and supplied the North Island market Since the industry had developed in the Auckland district the Canterbury growers had to stand by until the onions produced in Auckland had been consumed. Mr. Good said the New Zealand growers could supply the local markets until October, after which, it was suggested, that Canadian and Australian importations should be allowed. There had not been satisfactory cool storage in Canterbury in the past, but the Canterbury Freezing Company had now promised to see whether it could not provide such accommodation in which local onions could be held until the end of September. The deputation was supported by. Mr. R. W. Hawke (Reform-Kaiapoi) and Mr. D. Jones (Reform —Mid-Can-terbury). The Prime Minister said he would be pleased to investigate. What was usually asked for was protection against low-priced imports, but the circumstances here were peculiar, in that* protection was sought agains the importation of a product priced much higher than the local article. He could not see any reason why merchants should prefer to pay prices so greatly in excess of the New Zealand ones. He would like to see the local growers able to. supply the New Zealand market, and he would see what could be done.

NEW DAIRY COMPANY

Special to THE SUN TE AROHA, Friday.

A new dairy company in this district has been registered. It is the Te Aroha-Thames Valley Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, with a nominal capital of £40,000 in £1 shares. Already about 15,000 of these have been taken up. The intention of the company is to acquire the business of the Te Aroha Dairy Company, Limited. Since its inception in 1924, this company has increased its output from 108 tons to 1,785 tons. The provisional directors of the new concern are: Messrs. M. C. Smith, Hikutaia; H. McKeen, Turanga-o-Moana; W. H. Emmett, Manawaru; H. O. Cooper, Waihou; F. S. Board, Te Aroha; P. Sutton, Waihi; C. A. Hayward, Waitakaruru; and C. A. Onsford, Turua.

HERD TESTERS TO MEET

The annual meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association, Incorporated, is to be held on Monday at Toorak Chambers, Victoria Street. Hamilton. Business will begin at 11 a.m.

The annual report and balance sheet will be considered and directors elected.

UNDERMINING THE WHEATGROWERS’ MARKET

The advocates of duty free wheat for. stock feed purposes are evidently not aware of how the achievement of their object would cripple the whole wheat industry. Totally absent from their considerations is the fact that there is no clear line of demarcation between fowl wheat and milling wheat. With the duty removed and with wheat for poultry feed selling at, say, Is 3d a bushel less than milling wheat, the demand for milling wheat would be diverted to the lower grades, and the wheatgrowers’ best market would collapse. A further factor that would pull down prices below profitable production would be the offering of a 9,000,000-bushel crop on a 6,500,000bushel market. Assuming that the normal market for fowl wheat requiring 2,000,000 bushels would be closed owing to the duty, diverting business in that class of wheat to overseas.^

Whatever concessions are made to stock food consumers it will be readily seen that a firm stand must be taken to prevent the wheatgrowers’ market being undermined and a vital key industry ruined.—ll. ’

“HERD-TESTING TRIUMPH’’

NGARUA’S BUTTER-FAT RECORDS Special to THE SUN TE AROHA, Today. “The world records established by the Ngarua group of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd-Testing Association can be regarded as a triumph for the system of herd-testing,” declared Mr. L. Candy, chairman of the committee of the Ngarua group, when the settlers met yesterday afternoon to celebrate the success of the district. Ngarua’s records were the production of 318.421 b of butter-fat a cow for 1,113 cows in 281 days, and an average production of 1801 b of butterfat an acre. Mr. Candy said herdtesting had been of inestimable benefit to the dairying industry. Though Ngarua was a comparatively new district, its progress had been due largely to the faith of the settlers in rotational grazing. Mr. F. Hayward had the best individual performance of the season by producing 2561 b of butter-fat an acre. Mr. F. James’s herd of 86 cows averaged 379.61 b of butter-fat in 296 days. .Praise of the work of Dr. Babcock for developing his system of testing and of Dr. C. J. Reaves, of the Department of Agriculture, in urging a Government subsidy for herd-testing was made by Mr. Dynes Fulton. It was now proposed to discontinue or to decrease the subsidy. If this subsidy were withdrawn, the industry would be vitally affected.

NEWTON KING, LIMITED

YEAR’S PROFIT OF £20,000 Prom Our Own Correspondent NEW PLYMOUTH, Today. The annual general meeting of Newton King. Ltd., is to be held on July 31. The annual report describes a successful year’s trading and shows that last year’s writing down of capital has stabilised the firm’s finances. The report states that profit and los« appropriation account, including £451 brought forward from last year, shows a credit balance of £20,994. This figure has been arrived at after an exhaustive overhaul and investigation of the company’s assets as at the end of the financial year. The directors recommend the payment of a dividend of 64 per cent, for the year on both preference and ordinary capital, absorbing £13,294; leaving a balance of £7,7Q0 to be carried forward. The directors state that the annual licence fee payable by the company is calculated upon the amount of its nominal capital and to effect a reduction they suggest that 75,500 unissued preference shares be cancelled and a motion to this effect will be submitted to the annual meeting. The balance sheet figures reflect th** drastic writing down of assets in association with the reduction of th*' capital of the company sanctioned by the shareholders in July, 1929. The capital comprises 200,195 ordinary shares of 3s each, £30,029 ss, and 174,500 65 per cent, cumulative preference shares, making a total paid up capital of £204,529 ss. Other liabilities are: Mortgages on properties, £19.540 (as against £20,340 last year); Bank of New Zealand. £191,721 (£165,453); bills payable, £1,890 (£245); sundry creditors, £38,681 (£50,589); Newtor. King Estate account, £69,830 (£78,762). Assets are shown as follow: Freehold and leasehold properties, buildings and yards, £72,499 (as against £11311978), machinery, plant and office furniture, £14,497 (£27,018); stocks of merchandise, motor-cars, machinery on hand and in transit, £70,046 (£67,293); sundry debtors, £374,180 (£439,918); bills receivable, £15,951 (£11,372). Contingent liabilities under guarantees given by the company amount to £28,475, as against £37,818 last year.

CHICAGO WHEAT

Reed. 9.20 a.m. CHICAGO, Friday. Wheat—July, 885 cents; September, 91 7-8 cents; December, 97 5-8 cents; March, 1 dollar 2,3-8 cents.