BUNNY'S DEATH-KNELL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 13, 20 February 1914, Page 5

BUNNY'S DEATH-KNELL.

CLOSER SETTLEMENT KILLS HIM MR FISHER ON CENTRAL OTAGO. | THE FRUIT INDUSTRY. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister of Customs and Marine, arrived in Christchurch from the South last evening. He will address a meeting at Kaiapoi this evening, and to-morrow will take part in the tennis match Wellington v. Canterbury. He will leave for the North to-morrow night.' During his visit to the South, Mr Fisher went through the Otago Central district for the first time, although, owing to the short time at his disposal, it was more or less a "rush" visit. Speaking to a representative of THE SUN this morning, Mr Fisher said that he had been familiar with the. wants and requirements of .Otago Gen-1 tral during the time he had sat in the House, but now that he had personally; visited the district he had been very ; greatly impressed by the necessity for its development. Otago Central laboured uuder many disadvantages, and careful consideration would be necessary to find a way of overcoming them. He hoped the Government would recognise the claims of the district to close settlement. The first hurdle to be overcome, was the rabbit nuisance, which could "be properly dealt with only by close settlement; and close settlement could be achieved only by improved transit facilities and irriga-, tion.

IRRIGATION LEADS TO PROGRESS. The Manuherikia irrigation scheme would soon be put ivb hand, and would open up a large tract of country at present useless. He thought it would be a wise thing to consider the advisability of setting aside areas for workers' dwellings and a canning faetory before putting the land under cultivation. Instead of having to pay £3O or £4O an acre for land for dwellings, the Government would thus be able to secure sites with n6 capital outlay at all. The canning factory could be assisted by the Government; first, by the gift of a free site, and secondly by more, reasonable-freight charges on sugar arid tins. The factory would be run on" co-operative principles—as in in the case of dairy factories —and the workers would' thus have an interest in the factory, not only as employees but as suppliers.A GOOD INVESTMENT.

~ the.,question of irrigation, Mr Fisher said that of course the work would be expensive, but when they considered what tlie result would ibe, and that the land would be returning year by year a revenue more than .equal, to the cost of the bringing in of a water supply, it would be seen that the money was well invested. It "-vt*ttf.j?bsurd for New' Zealand to be importing ~6*±o?xaous quantities of canned fruit, when thei l)omiiiiott -ik;.c2iL produce fruit of a better quality. The ! day would assuredly come /when canj ning factories would be established in ! Otago Central. -There they had healthy climatic conditions, cheap coal, and the best of fruit. Unfortunately, the fruitgrowers laboured under great disadvantages, which could bot be overcome at but the-establishment of cool stores in Dunedin,, which would enable the growers to send down large quantities of fruit at the height of the season, would ensure a regular supply of fruit for the people> and would considerably assist the industry.

NEED FOR A NIGHT TRAIN. The railway service, Mr Fisher continued, was not suitable for the industry. The time "between the plucking of the fruit and its passing into the hands of the consumer must be cut down to a minimum. What really ought to be done, in addition to establishing the cool store, was to run ■■■> a night train. The grower would thus be able to pick his fruit towards the close of the day, put it on the train, which would travel in the cool of the evening, and have the fruit in Dunedin in time for the morning markets. In conclusion, the Minister said that he hoped again to visit Otago Central. He had been amazed at the possibilities of the district. He looked forward confidently to its closer settlement, which alone would sound the deathknell of the rabbit.